All Things New Again
by ratchetman
Summary: It's been four years since the 4th great shinobi war, Naruto finally returns to Konoha and resumes his duties as a hidden leaf ninja. There will be time skips
1. Jailbreak!

This is my first Naruto fic, I haven't had a lot of time to write lately because life after college is much more hectic than I thought it would be, but I've been coming up with all these ideas and I just needed to get them out before I forgot any of them. Anyways….

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

_Intro: It's been 4 years since the end of the 4__th__ Shinobi World War, Madara Uchiha was able to steal the eight and nine tails powers but his plan to enslave the world was still foiled by the Great Shinobi alliance thanks to the collective efforts of Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. _

_Naruto has spent his time since then as a member of Uchiha Sasuke's reformed team Taka, but due to a series of events he now finds himself in the depths of one of the best guarded of all the Samurai's prisons in the Land of Iron._

** All Things New Again**

**Chapter 1: Jailbreak!**

Uzumaki Naruto sat cross legged in the middle of a damp, windowless cell, maintaining his breathing as best as he could after the hours he had just poured into his chakra exercises. His clothes heavy with sweat he pulled himself from the cell floor. A smirk flickered across his face.

"Now it's time for some physical exercises" Tossing his sweat drenched shirt aside he placed his hands on the floor and carefully lifted his body above them keeping his face inches from the ground. After finding a good balance he began to push off the floor keeping his head down and lowered himself back down completing his vertical push up.

As he continued his exercise his thoughts began to trail off (_How long have I been in here now?_ _Baka! should have tried better to keep track of the days. I believe the last time I kept track it had been 8 days, or was it 7…damn how long ago was that?_)

His thoughts were interrupted as the sound of a cell door opening somewhere down the long hall; he heard two sets of footsteps approaching outside, the became silent once they reached his cell.

A panel on the door opened letting in light for the first time in hours nearly blinding Naruto

"Step away from the door" the first guard outside demanded

Naruto did as he was instructed and backed away to the back of the cell, as he did another panel opened up below and a bowl of rice was tossed through the opening into the cell.

"I ordered ramen with pork slices" Naruto declared.

"Ugh you say that every day!" The second guard shouted. "I've had it with you! You should be lucky we feed you at all, I've got half a mind to go in there and teach you a lesson!"

The other guard stepped back "And what would you do exactly? Even if he can't cast Jutsu inside the barrier he's still down here for a reason, he's dangerous. He's just baiting you; he wants you to open the cell so he can escape" He then turned back to the cell "You'll eat what we give you until you're ready for trial" He shut the panel casting darkness in the cell once more.

Naruto listened as the footsteps grew fainter then turned to his meal. Digging in with one hand he shoveled some rice into his mouth. "Taste's funny" He lifted the bowl to his nose and inhaled "Smells funny too…wait a minute, something is going on here…"

Before he could finish his thought he heard a commotion down the hall, then heard footsteps again.

"Naruto! Spit the rice out, it's me"

Naruto immediately spit up his food across the wall and kicked the bowl towards the door. From outside the cell he could hear a familiar voice shout "Katsu!"

A huge explosion blew the door and most of the cell wall to pieces, once the smoke cleared four silhouettes appeared in the light.

"Dobe! I told you to keep track of the days" the calm voice of Naruto's best friend came from the light with an extended hand.

"Yeah well it's hard to keep track of time when you're locked in a box Teme!" He smiled as he grabbed the hand of Uchiha Sasuke and lifted himself from the floor. Behind Sasuke Naruto could finally see the faces of three of their companions Hotaru, Karin, and Hozuki Suigetsu.

Suigetsu sighed and scratched his head "At least tell us you've learned the order of the guard's shifts. With this no-killing policy of yours and Sasuke's I'd rather avoid any conflict at all"

"That doesn't sound like you at all Suigetsu" Naruto said brushing the dust off his shoulders "Jugo must be rubbing off on you"

"Stop this small talk and let's get what we came here for!" Karin shouted "Now do you know the guard shifts or not?"

Naruto stepped out of his cell into the hallway, "I've got what we need Dattebayo!"

_This was the first chapter so it was a short one, if you want to find out more about the four years before this incident you'll just have to keep reading won't you?_


	2. Summoned

_Ugh I guess that first chapter was kind of lame -_- sorry. I hope to get better at this soon, please let me know if my writing sucks. Thanks!_

_I know this story is supposed to focus on Naruto, but this chapter revolves mostly around Sasuke._

_Also I do plan on getting around to telling the story of Naruto's life the past few years, but I plan to do it in segments, mostly through stories told by Naruto. I was gonna just wait until I got to the first one to tell you all but….I am a ruiner of surprises_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

**Chapter 2: Summoned**

The 5 present members of Taka gathered around a blueprint of the Land of Iron prison that Uzumaki Naruto had been imprisoned in and observed as Naruto described the floor plans and guard shifts to the others.

"Now the guards move in groups of two, four and eight depending on two factors, the first is which floor they are patrolling, the second is what is being transported, as we suspected this building's cells are used for more than just to hold prisoners, they also hide away valuable treasures and hold meetings with high ranking officials."

Uchiha Sasuke looked up from the map "So where is our target located?"

Naruto pointed to 4 different locations on the map. "From what little I gathered before I was captured I was able to find out that our target is systematically moved between these locations. These areas have eight guards on patrol at all times, but like you asked I was able to find some key flaws in their defenses."

"So you were planning on getting caught from the beginning?" Hotaru asked "But why?"

Sasuke shook his head "Yes and no, Naruto was supposed to capture our target on his own if possible, but we devised a back-up plan in case he was only able to observe and could not complete his objective without taking anyone's life unnecessarily."

"How did you know he would be here? How were you able to get that exploding clay to his cell?" Hotaru inquired

"Jugo also has infiltrated the prison, he has disguised as a guard escorting meals around the prison for 10 days as we agreed upon, we figured Naruto's capture would arise suspicion and they would have extra security for a duration of time, Jugo would then relay Naruto's location to us and our back up plan would commence"

"Then our whole back up plan was based on a lot of assumptions?" Hotaru began "What if they still have extra security, what if Jugo hadn't found Naruto in time? What if-"

Suigetsu cut her off "Hotaru you're new so I'll let you in on something, no matter how flimsy or hair brained the plans of Sasuke and Naruto are they always seem to work in our favor, so stop asking questions and let Naruto explain how we can get our target and get out of here"

Naruto finished delivering his intel and attack strategy "Now we'll break into two teams, Sasuke, Karin and I will head towards the highest levels and inspect these two locations, Suigetsu and Hotaru you meet up with Jugo, and head to the lower levels." He tossed two radios to his team members "If you find the target contact us using these"

The duo nodded and took off down the hall

Naruto turned back to Sasuke "Hey, how did you know I was gonna eat the explosive clay?"

A smirk ran across Sasuke's face "Because I know you Dobe, I knew you'd forget to keep track of time in here, and that you always think with your stomach before your head"

Naruto ran his hand down the back of his head "Can't deny that anymore can I? Good thing you learned that explosion technique from Deidara huh?"

Karin grabbed the men by their shoulders "If you two are done chit-chatting, we have company!" She pointed at a large group of armored guards rushing towards them "Now protect me!"

"Aiya, looks like that explosion caused a bigger commotion than we intended, Naruto how far do these justsu barriers extend?"

"Only as far as the four cell walls" Naruto replied as he began to form signals with his hands "Earth Release: Mud Pool!"

The stone floor below the approaching Samurai quickly turned soft mud as they were caught in Naruto's trap and began to sink into the floor.

Sasuke had just finished up a set of hand signals himself "Fire Release: Great Fireball"

Sasuke's fireball scorched the ground and quickly dried the mud pool, cementing the guards in place "Let's get going before reinforcements show up. Naruto lead the way"

They quickly made their way up the prison floors to their first destination, a large double-door cell with sixteen guards, eight guards standing at each door, the three of them stood in the stairwell just outside the cell block.

"Naruto you said that the guard's only came in groups of up to eight." Karin said

"They do" He recanted "When they change shifts eight will leave and a new eight will show up"

Karin struck him on the back of his head "That's not the same thing you moron!"

"Karin calm down, this won't be a problem" Sasuke silently unsheathed the sword he always kept by his side "We'll be able to subdue them easily"

Sasuke was about to leave their position when another samurai showed up from the opposite doorway "Quickly we need to head downstairs, one of the prisoners has escaped, and he has accomplices"

The entire guard quickly ran from their posts.

"What luck! Now's our chance to look for our target" Naruto said as he began running towards the large cell.

"Wait Naruto, do you think they'd leave something as valuable as what we're looking for completely unattended? I don't think it's here; let's make our way to the next level"

"I guess you're right" He followed Karin and Sasuke as ran up another flight of stairs, as they were running they heard Suigetsu's voice come from their radios.

"_Guys, we found Jugo, we've cleared our first checkpoint and there was no sign of-"_

"Suigetsu?" Sasuke called into the radio "Damn they must have been intercepted"

Naruto saw the look of concern on his friends face "They're tough I'm sure they can handle themselves"

"I'm not worried about them, I'm worried about whoever they come up against, especially now that Jugo is with them, we just need to hope he can resist his impulses"

"Jugo's done a fine job so far, he won't let us down now" Naruto gave his friend a reassuring smile

Sasuke nodded "Alright then we're almost at the next cell"

As they approached their destination a thick fog seemed to be forming around them

(_Is this Ninjustu_?) Naruto thought "Sasuke, I don't remember fog here before, something has changed"

"No doubt the warden was concerned about your capture and hired some extra muscle" Sasuke said, (_Ninja for hire in this age? Pathetic_) "Naruto, see if you can do something about this mist"

"Already on it, Wind Release: Wind Tunnel!" Naruto inhaled deeply and blew out a wind that was as strong as any storm but the fog remained.

"Sasuke it must be a Genjustsu" Karin cried

"I figure you're right, if that's the case then we're already in our enemies clutches. Stay alert everyone no telling what else could happen"

"Can't you just solve it with your Sharingan?" Karin sobbed as she latched onto Sasuke's arm

He shook himself free of her grasp "You know it doesn't work unless I can see the enemies movements, if I had seen them cast the Genjutsu this would be a very different situation, any ideas Naruto?...Naruto?" Sasuke turned to where they're comrade had been standing "Naruto where are you?" Sasuke continued to search for his friend but found no trace of him "Karin keep your head up, no telling what may happen"

Karin gave no reply

"Karin where are you?" Sasuke began to panic "Karin! Naruto!" he continued to shout out to his companions without response

A low mournful moan came from somewhere deep in the mist "Lost your friends have you?" The moan turned into a high pitched cackle "Well three's a crowd anyways, I can have much more fun with just you"

Suddenly a shadow came tearing through the fog and collided into Sasuke's chest sending him to his knees. (_What was that?_) He clambered back to his feet, behind him he heard a rustle and turned to catch his enemy as it approached him, he swung his sword at his opponent but it just went straight through (_A clone? Or another Genjutsu?_) His question was answered when the figure he had just slashed through struck him once more in the chest (_It was real? Did he teleport? I thought only Madara had that ability_)

He flew backwards but managed to steady himself with his sword (_Wait what am I thinking? I already knew this was a Genjutsu. None of this is real_)

He closed his eyes and tried to focus his energy to breaking the genjutsu. He heard another rustle to his left side obviously coming in for another attack, he waited until his foe got closer. He kept his eyes shut tight (_Almost time_) He felt a rush of wind blow past his face and then he struck out beside him with his feet feeling contact he reopened his eyes to see the fog had vanished and before him lay a man doubled over in pain. The man had a Hidden Mist crest adorned on his forehead.

"How did you know?" The defeated Ninja asked

"I realized that my radio never really cut out, you're genjutsu just blocked off my senses from anything other than you're reality, even my senses of sight, touch and smell. You used the shadow in the mist as an illusion and came at me from below striking me once I let my guard down to attack your shadow." 

He grabbed the mist ninja off the ground "Now are there any other ninja that have been hired?"

"Like I'd tell you" The man scoffed

"You haven't been told anything have you?" Sasuke sighed "Then you're role is done here"

He knocked the ninja unconscious and listened back into his radio

"_How did you two lose Sasuke?_" He heard Suigetsu's voice over the collective back ground noise

"Never mind Suigetsu, I'm fine now" He reported "Naruto, Karin where are you?"

"_We've gone ahead to the second cell but there no luck_" Naruto called over the radio, "_We haven't run into much resistance, what happened to you? You turned a corner ahead of Karin and I and disappeared_"

"I got a little tied up but I've taken care of everything" He said calmly "Let's rendevous at the last cell, the target has to be there"

Sasuke headed straight towards his next destination and began descending through the many flights of stairs when his radio came back on with Hotaru's voice at the other end "_Uh Sasuke…You may want to get down here fast, looks like this is the right cell, and there are a lot of Samurai_"

Behind her voice he could hear Jugo and Suigetsu fighting off as many enemies as they could

"_Damn it this would be so much easier if I could just kill you all!_"

"_Stay calm Suigetsu, they're more annoying than an actual threat, haha! But I've got to admit it would be a real thrill if I could just eliminate one of them!_"

((_I've got to hurry, before one of those two does something drastic_) Sasuke quickened his pace and made his way down the floors of the prison. When he finally arrived he saw a trembling Hotaru and Karin in a corner of the cell room with Suigetsu and numerous Naruto's clones attempting to hold back a murderous looking Jugo. Behind them was a collaboration of frightened and determined Samurai standing before a large stone cell door.

(_This is what we've been looking for_) Sasuke thought

"Sasuke!" One of the Narutos shouted "We've got to calm Jugo somehow!" The Naruto was lifted above the ground by the throat and promptly disappeared, more clones began to clamber over their devilish transformed partner.

"Why hold me back? We need to get into that cell, I can just make it easier on all of us!"

"Jugo!" Sasuke shouted. The demon entity turned towards him and stared him straight in the eyes (_As usual_) Sasuke thought (_the Demonic Jugo is not nearly as intelligent_)

Using his Sharingan Sasuke cast a genjustsu that subsided Jugo's rage and left him lying limp on the ground

"Now Taka!" Sasuke shouted "Let's get what we came for!" (_I've got to hurry, before one of those two does something drastic_) Sasuke quickened his pace and made his way down the floors of the prison. When he finally arrived he saw a trembling Hotaru and Karin in a corner of the cell room with Suigetsu and numerous Naruto's clones attempting to hold back a murderous looking Jugo. Behind them was a collaboration of frightened and determined Samurai standing before a large stone cell door.

(_This is what we've been looking for_) Sasuke thought

"Sasuke!" One of the Narutos shouted "We've got to calm Jugo somehow!" The Naruto was lifted above the ground by the throat and promptly disappeared, more clones began to clamber over their devilish transformed partner.

"Why hold me back? We need to get into that cell, I can just make it easier on all of us!"

"Jugo!" Sasuke shouted. The demon entity turned towards him and stared him straight in the eyes (_As usual_) Sasuke thought (_the Demonic Jugo is not nearly as intelligent_)

Using his Sharingan Sasuke cast a genjustsu that subsided Jugo's rage and left him lying limp on the ground

"Now Taka!" Sasuke shouted "Let's get what we came for!"

He charged forward towards the Samurai guards along with his other four companions

Hours after escaping the prison with all his comrades Naruto presented a large wooden chest before his team mates. "This" he said "Is what we were after"

He opened the box to reveal a large crystal orb sitting on top of a red plush comforter

"So what is it?" Karin asked adjusting her glasses to better inspect the object

"It's the 'Eye of Ryukishin'" Sasuke said "An orb said to project some of the most powerful Storm jutsu known to man, the Land of Iron is clearly trying to gain some power against the five great nations by using it's power"

Since the end of the most recent Shinobi war Taka had become a shadow organization dedicated to the preservation of the balance of power between the five great nations by annihilating any scrolls or artifacts obtained by individual nations trying to gain power over one another.

"Probably another example of a smaller nation trying to start a coup in order to gain more say in the United Lands Meet" Jugo said solemnly "Despite this so called 'International Peace Treaty' every land is still looking out for only oneself

Naruto turned and gave his partner a thumbs up "That's why we're here though, to ensure peace across the nations! Dattebayo! Now to turn this orb to dust" Naruto turned towards the wooden container and began gathering a large amount of chakra in his hand "We'll make sure no one ever gets their hands on this orb again! Rasengan!"

With one blow he shattered the orb into thousands of pieces, the rest of the team watched as the leftovers fell silently to the ground

Suigestsu sighed "You know if we had kept all the artifacts that you and Sasuke wanted to destroy we could be invading any nation we wanted right now. But hey, I'm not here to make decisions" He laughed

Sasuke gave him a small nod, as blood thirst as Suigetsu had once been, he had become a very valuable member of Taka "Alright then we'll distance ourselves a bit more from this land before we take a few nights to rest. We don't have a new target quite yet so we may be on lowdown for a while"

His team mates nodded and the group leapt from their positions to build a camp somewhere more secure

Later that night Naruto and Sasuke found themselves sitting by a camp fire a good distance away from their companions playing a game of cards the same as most nights

"Another mission completed" Naruto mused "As if there was any doubt"

"Are you telling me that not once did you suspect our mission might go awry?" Sasuke asked as he placed two cards from his hand to the ground and retrieved two more from the deck that sat between them "Even though I was temporarily trapped by a genjutsu and Jugo was ready to massacre the entire prison guard"

Naruto just smiled "Not once"

Sasuke looked up at his closest companion (_How much you have changed Naruto, not just in your abilities and your attitude, but your appearance has changed drastically)_

Sasuke noted his best friend's blonde hair which had been kept extremely short in recent years, shorter than it had ever been before, staying as close to his head as it could manage while retaining its general 'spiky' personality. Then there was the dark facial hair that Naruto had grown to cover the absence of his Kyuubi marks across his face, in all the years they had traveled together Naruto had never allowed anything resembling a beard to cross his face, but had kept his facial hair to very dark stubble across his visage.

"Checking me out again Teme?" Naruto chortled "I haven't changed that much, but I admit it has been more than you. You haven't changed a bit since-" Naruto allowed his voice to trail off

"Since our battle with Madara, that time that you-" Sasuke began but was cut off

"I told you, I don't want to talk about that" Naruto's voice had become quite stern "Not like it matters anyway, I was able to fulfill my promise wasn't I?"

Sasuke simply smiled "I guess so"

The two sat in silence for a while before Naruto's eyes jolted towards the trees that were sitting towards the west of their vicinity.

"So you've sensed it as well?" Sasuke asked his partner "Do you think its head hunters again? Or is it-"

"No it's definitely Konoha" Naruto said solemnly

"Are they after you or me?" Sasuke asked

"If history gives us any indication they're after me" Naruto replied laying his cards down at his feet "Usual drill, wake the others and take them far from here, if anyone tries to stop you I'll distract them"

Sasuke lept quickly to his feet and bolted in the direction of their other companions

Naruto closed his eyes and let out a long sigh "Let's get this over with" He called out to the darkness

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy" A voice from behind said "Uzumaki Naruto, by orders of the United Lands Meet and the fifth Hokage of Konohagakure I hereby place you under arrest for acting as a rogue ninja"

Naruto turned to face the intruder, a masked shinobi stood behind him, and soon three others appeared around the camp.

"ANBU"


	3. A Hero's Welcome, a Criminal's Reward

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 3: A Hero's Welcome, a Criminals Reward

"So Granny finally sent some elite corps to drag me back did she?" Naruto smirked "It's about time"

"N-now this attitude will not do" The ANBU facing Naruto stammered "You know that the fifth Hokage has been more than patient with you, and now it is imperative you return to Konoha"

"What exactly are you gonna do to ensure that I return with you?" Naruto said cockily "She's been trying for years to get me to come back, what can you do that all the others couldn't?"

"The village needs you Naruto" The ANBU said quietly "It's time to stop being selfish and return home"

Naruto had to admit the word 'home' stung a little bit but he stood strong, waiting for the ANBU to make their first move, hoping to buy some time for Sasuke and Taka to escape

"In case you haven't noticed we have not attempted to pursue Taka" The ANBU said catching Naruto off guard "We have been given strict orders to only retain you, and I would like to do so without conflict"

Naruto thought he began to recognize the voice of the ANBU member before him "So what are you going to do? Lock me in a wooden cage again?"

"If I must" The ANBU replied "Uh-I-I-mean-uh-"

Naruto began to laugh "No use hiding it now Captain Yamato, you've been out smarted"

The ANBU hung it's head "W-Well done Naruto"

Another ANBU began to speak "I don't understand, the Naruto I remember would not have been so clever as to outsmart Captain Yamato, could it be that we have merely found an imposter?" The masked ninja pulled out a book from his pack and began thumbing through pages. "Now let's see, how to react when someone outsmarts you"

Naruto had to stifle a laugh in order to reply "No Sai, I can promise you it's me"

The other ANBU appeared shocked "How did you know it was me? This is not going as you said it would Captain Yamato. Why?"

"Why?" a third ANBU began "Because we have underestimated our former comrade, he has obviously become more learned and worldly, years of being on the run must have sharpened his wit"

"Ugh that annoying way of speaking, Shino is that really you?"

the third ANBU hung its head and droplets of water began to drip from his mask

"Uh, Shino why are you crying? I mean sure I outsmarted you guys but-"

"Why?" Shino said lifting his head towards the moon "Because finally after all these years you are finally able to recognize me"

"YOU'RE STILL NOT OVER THAT!" Naruto shouted "THAT WAS YEARS AGO!" He crossed his arms and shook his head, then he turned to the last ANBU

"If Tsunade sent you three, then the 4th must be someone I know as well. Now let's see who do I know is cunning and smart enough to become one of Konoha's elite?" A sly smirk stretched across his face as he nuzzled up to the fourth ANBU "Is that you Sakura-chan? I bet you couldn't stand to be without me any longer could you?"

"I'm a guy you jackass" The fourth said causing Naruto to jump away quickly

"A guy? Who could you be then?" He tried to grab a hold of the ANBU's mask "Kiba? No there's no Akamaru, maybe Neji or Lee!"

"We've never met before" the fourth said, "Please don't touch me"

"Naruto" Yamato said "Enough stalling, you need to understand we need you to return to Konoha"

"Why is this so important to you?" Naruto glared

"You're still the hero of Konoha, and the tales that have spread since your absence have only strengthened your legacy in the village, having you finally return would boost morale among the people of the village"

"Why do you need to boost the people's morale in the first place?" Naruto asked

"Despite the signed agreements among the Ninja villages and the five great nations there are still many individuals who are trying to gain power for themselves, and it has worn heavily on the Shinobi Alliance"

"Is it that serious?" a hint of shame could be heard in Naruto's voice "Is that really why you need me to return?"

"That" Sai said "And the Tsuchikage and Mizukage have demanded the Leaf Village watch over you, or else they'd hunt you down"

"Sai!" Yamato shouted "Ugh Naruto that is true as well, the Raikage, Kazekage and Hokage have done all they can to quell the demands of the other nations that you live as you see fit, but it no longer satisfies the council of village leaders, though they represent the majority of power in the United Lands Meet they need to satiate the other members, and the council demands you be removed as a rogue ninja, or return as a shinobi of the hidden leaf."

"And for a second I thought you guys actually missed me" Naruto rubbed the back of his head "I can't in good conscience put Konoha and my friends in any position that could break up the shinobi alliance, it could lead to war" He sighed "Alright Yamato, Sai, Shino….um new guy let's return to Konoha"

"Very well" Yamato motioned the 4th ANBU over "Arrest him"

The ANBU placed a pair of hand cuffs on Naruto's hands and linked them to a chain tied around his waist

"Captain Yamato is this really necessary?" Naruto pleaded

"Just until we're close enough to the village, I'm very sorry Naruto, but it is protocol and I follow it very strictly"

"Stickler" Naruto mumbled

Suddenly the members of Taka leapt from the surrounding trees "Konoha shinobi, I'm sorry but we can't allow you to take our comrade" Sasuke said sword drawn towards the ANBU that Naruto had been chained to.

Sai and Shino began reaching for their weapons but Naruto spoke up "Sasuke I have to go, there's no other choice"

Sasuke was caught off guard "Naruto, are you sure?"

Naruto gave him a thumbs up "I'll be fine Dattebayo"

"Heh if that's what you want Dobe, don't think Taka won't continue to keep an eye out for you"

"I'm counting on it, you take care of these guys Sasuke"

Sasuke approached Naruto, the 4th ANBU readied a kunai to defend himself but was called off by Yamato. Sasuke gripped one of Naruto's hands and embraced him "Be safe Naruto"

"You know me" Naruto smiled

"Yeah I do, that's why I'm so worried"

The two friends laughed

"Naruto, thanks for everything, and I mean everything." He turned back to the four other members "Taka retreat"

The five disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, leaving Naruto with the Konoha ANBU a single tear formed in the corner of Naruto's eye, he quickly wiped it away and gave a great big grin to the open sky

(_No Sasuke, thank you_)

(Three days later)

Naruto awoke to the sound of clinking chains "Argh! Can't we keep sleeping? We've been traveling for days" He whined

The group had been on the move almost constantly only stopping to rest twice and it had been very wearing on Naruto's wrist as he was still bound to his captors

"We've rested enough" Came Yamato's voice from behind his mask "And we're nearly in Konoha now, close enough I think we can afford to un-cuff you" He pulled a key from his utility belt and unlocked Naruto's shackles

"So you really were planning on letting me out of those things" Naruto said as he rubbed his aching forearms

"As long as you promise not to try to escape" Yamato said

"No worries Captain Yamato, I'm not going anywhere"

"Well then shall we proceed?" Shino asked "Your adoring public awaits"

"Oh yeah I'm sure its going to be quite a homecoming" Naruto scoffed

They resumed their travels leaping through the tree tops and after a few hours Naruto began to recognize their surroundings "Hey we're by the far training grounds aren't we?"

"That's right" Yamato said "We should see the village any minute now"

As they got closer to the main gate of Konoha, before it was in sight a low rumbling could be heard in the distance.

"What's that noise?" Naruto asked

"No doubt the village has been alerted to your return" Yamato said "I suspect there's a large gathering of admirers awaiting our arrival"

"Are you serious?" Naruto said nearly losing his balance on a tree branch

"You have to understand Naruto you left so quickly after defeating Madara that we were not able to properly reward your heroism, top that off with the defeat of Pain and saving the village and its inhabitants, and tales of your travels have always managed to reach the ears of the hidden lead. You've become a local legend, and no one has forgotten your heroism" Shino stated

"Really?" Naruto could now see the large gates that made up the entrance of the village and sure enough he was able to make out a large gathering of people with banners and flags waving that had his name in bold letters with words of thanks

"Wow this is all for me?" He could hardly believe his eyes

The group landed only a couple hundred feet away from the crowd and the people erupted in cheers almost deafening Naruto

"We are now longer your captors, it seems like we're now your guardians" Sai said "You may want to watch your back, who knows what some of these people will do to get even a hand on you. It's a good thing you're not wearing a shirt or the crowd would try to rip it from your shoulders" 

Naruto looked down forgetting the last garb he had worn across his torso had been tossed aside in the Land of Iron prison (_Whoops_) He chuckled to himself

As the made their way through the crowds Naruto heard all kinds of words tossed at him, he heard young girls professing their love, old men telling him how they wanted their sons to be just like him, small children calling him their hero. With all of this praise he tried his best to stay modest but he just couldn't help himself

"Konoha, you're hero Uzumaki Naruto has returned!" He shouted towards the crowd once they had passed the front gates. Again the crowd erupted in applause and cheers.

Naruto looked around through the crowds faces but couldn't find the people he was looking for

"Something wrong hero?" Yamato chuckled

"I thought more of my friends would be here, you know Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Lee, Konohamaru, Kakashi-sensei, or maybe-"

"You were wondering if Hinata-chan and Sakura were here?" Sai said blandly

Naruto turned a little red at the mention of the two women's names "Maybe"

"No doubt they're all on missions with their students, or on personal errands from Tsunade-sama" 

"Don't you have to be a jonin to train students?" Naruto asked

"Many of our comrades have become Jonin, actually I think you're the only one who has not" Shino said causing Naruto to hang his head in embarrassment "But don't worry I assure you their absence is not because they don't want to be here, you have been on all our minds during your absence, ultimately it has strengthened the bond of all of us, even Sai" Shino pointed to the masked ANBU standing behind them "He has come out of his shell quite a bit"

"So are all of our old comrades teaching their own Genin?" Naruto asked

"No, Shikamaru has been granted a pass from the Hokage until Kurenai's son Ryu has graduated the academy, Ino has taken over her family business and as for Chouji, well I guess you can ask him yourself"

Naruto saw a burly long haired and very muscular man standing before him. If it had not been for the rosy cheeks and protruding belly Naruto may have never recognized him

"Choji!" He exclaimed at the sight of his childhood companion

"Ah Naruto, how good it is to see you" Choji brought a powerful hand down on Naruto's bare back, knocking the wind out of him "I have to say, I've missed you're cheery face around here, it sure brightens up this dull village" He pulled a bag of potato chips from his armor and began eating hastily

"Haha Choji you haven't changed at all" Naruto laughed

The large shinobi just gave him a smile and a nod before swallowing a large mouthful of fried potatoes

"Now Naruto, if you'll follow me I'll be taking you to your prison cell now, I don't know if you've heard but I'm the new village warden" Choji gave a big laugh

"My-My prison cell?" All of Naruto's energy rushed from his body and he began to sulk while sitting in the dirt "No one said I was going to prison"


	4. Another Night in Prison

Just and FYI before we begin, whenever you see something in _Italics_ it is usually a thought, or a story being told by a character, just giving you a heads up in case you get confused

To those of you who have put up with the story so far I would first like to say Thank You! Now I don't mean to beg but I would really like some feed back from you guys, let me know what you think. Arrigato!

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 4: Another night in Prison

Choji lead Naruto to his cell and shut the barred door behind him, "Here you may want to take this" Choji tossed him a blue cloak that was hanging near the cell "It gets pretty cold down here"

"Ah man this is so lame, I just got out of a prison cell. Choji why am I in here?" Naruto asked

"Hokage's orders" Choji said sitting himself on a bench across the hall from Naruto's cell so he could sit face to face "The United Lands Meet demanded you be punished for going rogue, so Tsunade-sama decided to have you spend at least one night in prison"

"What is this United Lands Meet everyone keeps talking about?" Naruto asked as he wrapped the cloak around his shoulders

"It's the collaboration of all the worlds village leaders, it's like a big council with the five great nations as the majority power holders"

"What about the feudal lords?"

"As long as they continue to make money they don't really care how the lands work out the politics" Choji stretched his arms over his head and then reached for another bag of chips "So while we're here, might as well catch up. I bet you have some great stories from your travels, don't you?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head "You could say that, I've seen and learned a lot, been all kinds of places and met all kinds of people, I have all kinds of stories to tell. Not to brag but I could write a couple books if I wanted to, stories of adventure, loss-"

"Romance?" Choji said with a twinkle in his eye

A smile crossed Naruto's lips "What do you mean?"

"Oh let's just say that when a few of us were sent out to the Land of Demons we had to guard a certain temple priestess and her daughter." Choji smirked "Cute kid too, a couple years old maybe, bright blue eyes, blonde hair, really energetic"

Naruto laid his head in his hand "You don't say, I take it the priestess you were guarding was named Shion?"

A small laugh escaped Choji's lips in between bites of chips "I think that was her name, so is there a story to tell there or what?"

"You're not going to let this go are you?" The blonde asked

"We've got a lot of time, might as well entertain ourselves right?"

Naruto shook his head "Alright, if you insist, the story begins with a promise that I made a long time ago, granted I didn't know what I was agreeing to at the time, but you know me I never go back on my word"

Choji simply chewed and nodded eyes focused intently on the story teller

"It was a few months after Sasuke and I had left the battlefield of the last Great War, it was just the two of us traveling together at the time, but we had heard rumors that one of Sasuke's old comrades was looking to steal a very valuable sword from a monk's temple-"

Naruto closed his eyes and visualized the event; he could still see it very vividly

* * * * * * ?

"_Naruto" Sasuke said "We can't take Suigetsu lightly, he is the student of Zabuza after all"_

"_Yeah you said that before" Naruto huffed holding both hands over his head, his hands often found their way towards the back of his head to compensate for the missing Leaf insignia he had worn for so long, his head still felt odd without it, but he had discarded the Leaf Ninja symbol once he began stealing enchanted objects, not wanting Konoha involved _

_Before them stood a large granite cliff with holes carved into the side_

_Naruto admired the large stone wall "They built the temple right into the cliff?"_

"_Yeah, they use very simple tools to do it also, no justsu is used in it's construction, the practice is to preach patience and the satisfaction that comes from hard labor, whenever a new member is initiated they must carve out their own living space before the initiation is complete, and when a monk passes away the room is sealed and caved in"_

_Naruto turned to his friend "So why don't we go in?"_

_"Well that's the problem, no outsiders are permitted entry, and there are typically no exceptions, we will have to make an audience with a high ranking monk and hope we can convince him to allow us to wait for Suigetsu's arrival"_

_From inside the temple they heard a loud crash and saw a dust cloud rise from out one of the windows_

"_Something tells me we won't have to wait long" Naruto said "Or are they just filling in a room like you said?"_

"_I can't imagine peace loving monks would create such a ruckus just to fill in an empty space" Sasuke drew his sword "I know we have a no-kill policy but if worse comes to worse we may have to take Suigetsu's life before he hurts someone innocent"_

_"Let's make sure that's our last resort though" Naruto said_

_Sasuke nodded in agreement and they charged into the temple_

_They made their way quickly into the temple which appeared at first to be empty_

_Naruto took notice "Sasuke is it odd that we have yet to run into anyone?"_

_"It is, but come on I hear a noise coming from upstairs"_

_The two bolted to the second floor and discovered the cause of the commotion_

"_Suigetsu!" Sasuke halted before the blue haired boy "It is you"_

_"Sasuke?" The boy turned his head as if to get a look at the rogue ninja in a different fashion "Sasuke it is you! Haha I don't believe it, where have you been?"_

_"Where have I been? Suigetsu what are you doing here?"_

_"Looking for the Zantetsuken of course" Suigetsu replied "It's great to see you alive, you wouldn't believe the stories that Karin has been telling Jugo and I"_

_"Stories?"_

_The blue haired boy nodded and gave a wide grin, exposing many rows of sharp teeth "Yeah, she says you abandoned Jugo and I intentionally to distract the samurai while you attacked the Kage's, and then she says you even tried to kill her" He gave a short laugh_

"_Suigetsu…. Those things Karin told you, they're true" Sasuke said solemnly "I became a different person during our invasion of the Kage's meeting, you could say I lost my mind, I would have been lost for good, if it hadn't been for Naruto" He pointed towards his friend behind him_

"_Oh" Suigetsu looked disappointed and crossed his arms across his chest "Well you're sorry right? I mean you wouldn't forsake us twice right?"_

_"Uh, no I guess not why?"_

_"Good because we really need our leader back" Suigetsu placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder "I'm seriously bored without you around, and let me tell you it is not easy to keep Jugo under control, I thought it would be funny to see him transform into that cursed demon thing again, but he tried to kill me, we really need you back"_

_"Suigetsu you've invaded a sacred temple and who knows what you've done to the inhabitants"_

"_You mean the monks? Man this place has been vacant for a week, that's the only reason Jugo allowed me to come here, you may be gone but Taka still respects your rules. Well Jugo does I just prefer not to get into a conflict with him" He turned so he could face Sasuke and Naruto "Now are you guys gonna help me look for Zantesuken or what?"_

"_I suppose we could" Naruto said_

"_Naruto? What are you doing?" Sasuke asked him_

"_On one condition" Naruto smiled_

"_Name it"_

"_You will bring us to Karin and Jugo and help Sasuke and I fulfill our mission"_

_"Which is?"_

_Naruto gave a sly smile "Why don't I tell you after we get out of here?"_

_"Hah! Now you've caught my interest, well I can't say no, after all I could really use some help getting that sword." He held out his hand to shake Naruto's "It's a deal"_

_The two grasped hands and shook_

_Naruto turned back to a confused Sasuke "Hey we could really use the help" _

"_Alright Suigetsu, let's find your blade"_

_As Naruto began to move a small ball rolled into the room from the hallway and exploded into a cloud of thick smoke_

"_Not so fast thieves!" Called a voice from the smoke_

_Naruto soon found himself thrown to the floor and felt thick restraints being wrapped around his arms and legs, as the smoke began to clear he saw Suigetsu and Sasuke had found themselves in the same situation. Kneeling on the back of each man were two robed monks tying their prisoners with what appeared to be black rope._

"_You have invaded our sacred temple" One of the monks spoke "By law we must bring you to our priestess, she will decide your punishment"_

_"Oh great" Suigetsu remarked "We're gonna get our asses handed to us by some stuck up priestess"_

_"Take them away" The monk commanded_

_The three men had been accompanied back to the village and lead through the town square, and led to a large cathedral_

"_The priestess lives in this huge place?" Suigetsu marveled "If she's anything like I imagine we're dead meat for sure"_

_Naruto started laughing_

"_Is that funny blondie?" Suigetsu snapped_

"_No not at all, but Shion isn't so bad"_

_"Who's Shion?" Sasuke asked_

"_The Land of Demons' priestess" Naruto stated_

"_You know the Lands priestess?" Suigetsu gave Naruto a very doubtful look_

_"Of course, we go way back, just wait and see, we'll be fine"_

_They continued their trek up to the cathedral and we dragged into the main hall, at the very end of the room the three could see a young woman sitting solemnly on a large throne_

"_Priestess" One of the monks called out "We found these thieves trying to steal the Zatetsuken from our Temple"_

_The priestess opened her eyes and lifted her head, she shifted from one man to the next until her eyes finally fell upon-_

"_Naruto!" She exclaimed rising from her seat "Naruto!" She rushed to his side and wrapped her arms around his neck as he gave a wide smile to Sasuke and Suigetsu who both looked on in disbelief_

"_Monk!" Shion turned to the man who had addressed her "Why is this man in restraints?"_

_"My lady, we found him and these men in our temple, you know that no one is supposed to enter"_

_"Release them immediately!" She shouted "This man is the Man of Honor for the Passage of Power Ritual"_

_All the monks as well as Suigetsu and Sasuke went blank in the face as though the had been struck_

_"T-T-This man is the-" The monks looked at each other dumbstruck "We will release them immediately my lady of course"_

_They untied the three men but Suigetsu and Sasuke remained rooted to their spots, jaws agape and wide eyed looking on as Shion embraced Naruto once more_

"_I knew you would come back" She said "This is wonderful, it is actually a perfect time for you and I to perform the ritual"_

_"I'm supposed to perform a ritual?" Naruto gave her a puzzled look_

"_Yes don't you remember? You promised you would help me pass on my powers to the next priestess" Shion said with a slight blush_

"_Oh right! I'll be glad to help! You got us out of that jam after all. So where is the new priestess?"_

_Shion giggled and gave Naruto a light kiss on the cheek, "She isn't here yet" She turned to Sasuke and Suigetsu, "Now as Naruto's guests I insist we hold a banquet tonight for the three of you. I will have someone escort each of you to a room and I will begin my own preparations for the ritual"_

_She glided back over to Naruto "I will have someone bring you to the ritual chamber when I'm ready" She said giggling once more_

_Once in their rooms Suigetsu and Sasuke confronted Naruto "You're the Man of Honor for the Passage of Power Ritual?" Sasuke shouted still a bit bewildered "How could you not mention something like that?"_

_Naruto began changing into the robes that had been brought in by a servant for him, instructing him that they must be worn before the ritual "I don't know, I didn't really know I was anything honorable, I just agreed to help Shion pass on her powers"_

"_Dobe, that is so typical of you, you agreed to something before even realizing what you were being asked to do, didn't you?" Sasuke buried his hand in his face_

"_I have the basic idea, Shion needs my assistance to pass on her powers to the next priestess"_

_"Don't you know what that means?" Sasuke was now exasperated_

"_I'm sure they'll tell me before it's time to start the ritual" Naruto said confidently_

_"Naruto it means-" Sasuke began but was cut off by Suigetsu_

"_It means you have to father a child" Suigetsu blurted_

_Naruto stopped getting dressed "Um like raise someone's kid?"_

_The other two smacked themselves in the forehead "He still doesn't get it" Suigetsu whined_

"_It means you have to perform the act of you know, making a child" Sasuke tried to explain as calmly as he could_

"_You mean I have to-" Naruto began turning bright red_

"_I think he finally gets it" Suigetsu began to laugh_

_"No, I can't do that! I can't be a father to anyone's child; I'm only 16" Naruto panicked_

"_Oh what are you complaining about?" The blue haired boy remarked "She's a babe, it's not like you're gonna have to suffer through this or anything"_

_"I can't" Naruto shook his head furiously "I mean I really can't, there's no way, it's too much pressure"_

_Suigetsu grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake furiously "Look you either get it on with the priestess or we're going to jail"_

_"But-but-but" Naruto continued to stammer_

"_Not only that but you'd be going back on your word" Sasuke chuckled a bit _

"_You think this is funny Teme!" Naruto shouted_

"_I do actually, this is just the kind of situation you always find yourself in, and I'd say you deserve to get stuck like this except this time it doesn't really seem like a punishment to go through with this ritual"_

_"You're serious" Naruto looked from one man to the other "You're both serious, you want me to go in there and-"  
><em>

_Before he could finish a servant popped his head into the room, "the banquet is prepared sirs" He bowed as he finished his sentence_

"_Oh boy I'm starved" Naruto declared_

_His two companions watched him march out the door and down the hall, Suigetsu turned to Sasuke "It's like he completely forgot about his duty as soon as food was mentioned"_

_"He forgets about most things when it comes to food" Sasuke sighed "We may as well join him, I am rather famished"_

_Suigetsu began to laugh "I feel kind of bad for Karin and Jugo they're stuck at a lousy hole in the wall while I get to feast and sleep in a mansion"_

_The group made their way to the dining hall and stared in awe at the spread in front of them, white rice piled into large bowls, slices of beef, fish, and pork, stacks of scallops, muscles, shrimp, and squid._

"_It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen" Naruto exclaimed as tears ran down his face "Let's dig in!"_

_After they had all satisfied their appetites Suigetsu leaned over to Naruto "You know you really don't have a choice when it comes to romancing the priestess do you? She's now kept you out of serious trouble and she fed you, you're pretty much stuck friend"_

_Naruto's face became very stern "I was going to have to go through with it anyways, I never go back on my word"_

_"That's pretty noble of you" Suigetsu commented half-heartedly _

_Just then another servant entered the dining hall "Lady Shion is waiting for you Master Naruto" he bowed and indicated that Naruto follow him from the room_

"_Good luck buddy" Suigetsu snickered_

"_Dobe, don't mess this up, I really would like to avoid being punished by the monks"_

_Naruto followed the man down the hall and up a few flights of stairs until the came to a large opening, Naruto looked above and realized they were standing on a balcony over looking a small courtyard that had been placed in between four walls of the cathedral._

_The servant gestured to a door standing at the opposite wall around the balcony "The priestess waits" _

_Naruto could have sworn he saw the man give him a brief thumbs up, but nervously walked in the direction of the doorway_

_Entering the room he noticed a sweet aroma that seemed to engulf him and at the far wall he saw Shion sitting on the edge of a very elaborate bed_

"_Naruto!" She ran over to him and hugged him tightly "How do I look?" She spun around and allowed him to admire her figure as her ceremonial robes clung very tightly to her small but curved frame_

_Naruto tried to speak but couldn't find the words, he simply moved his lips as a deep burn seemed to radiate behind his face_

"_I guess you know what this ritual entails?" _

_He gave her a small nod_

"_You don't have to be so nervous" _

"_I can't help it" He said shyly "This is my first time doing this kind of thing and well it doesn't help that you look well-" unable to finish his sentence he began to blush again_

"_You're very sweet Naruto" Shion took a hold of his hands and led him across the room, she placed her hands behind his head brought him down so she could look him in the eyes "Don't worry, everything will be fine"_

_Shion brought her lips to Naruto's, he accepted her kiss and trembled as the warmth of her body and the taste of her lips excited him. When they parted she blushed "You know even though this is a tradition, there's no reason it can't be a little fun"_

_Naruto felt his face continue to burn and his palms began to sweat as she finished her words and placed her hands on his shoulders removing his robe. She bit her lower lip and shoved him onto the large bed behind him, she slowly lowered herself until she was just inches away from his face _

"_Arrigato Naruto-kun" She whispered softly_

_Naruto remained speechless as he watched the young woman toss her own robes to the floor. (Guess I spoke too soon at dinner, this is definitely the most beautiful thing I've ever seen)_

(Back in the present day in Tsunade's office)

The fifth Hokage sat in her large office chair facing her student, advisor and apprentice who sat opposite of her who was desperately trying to contain her emotions as Tsunade broke the news of Uzumaki Naruto's return to Konoha

"So-" The pink haired Kunoichi began "He's back, he's really back, is it for good?"

Tsunade let out a short breath "It seems that way, from the ANBU report he has no intention of causing the village any woe" She paused for a second as she saw the young shinobi woman tense a bit "Now Sakura you must remember you have taken over Shizune's duties as my advisor after her retirement, I need you for the meantime to deal with this matter professionally"

A sob seemed to escape from Haruno Sakura's lips but she seemed to retain her composure though she had not been able to look the Hokage in the eyes since the news had been broken

"Will you be able to do as I ask and perform your sworn duty?" Tsunade asked sternly

The girl just bobbed her head, Tsunade relaxed a bit, though she did not intend to bring attention to it she knew that Sakura was probably gazing at the long discarded headband of her former team mate, a token that she had found years ago while searching for her friend

Finally Sakura was able to look Tsunade in the face, though tears were visibly cascading down her face she wore a bright smile "Do not worry Tsunade-sama, I'll carry out my duty as you requested"

Tsunade smiled "Now don't misunderstand me, once this matter is taken care of please do not hold back in welcoming Naruto as you see fit, I only ask one thing of you and then you may treat him as you always have." She was about to dismiss her assistant then remembered one thing "And Sakura, please leave him in one piece, we have gone through a lot of trouble to bring him back"


	5. Reunited

Just want anyone who has read this far to know I really appreciate it, I feel the love, hope I'm keeping you all entertained, was that last chapter good enough for ya? If not let me know, I will try harder next time. And I know it says NaruHina and NaruSaku, that's cuz there may be some drama later. I don't wanna rush things though you know?

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 5 Reunited

Akimichi Choji sat in silence as he let the last details of his childhood friends story sink in. He had placed his bag of chips on the bench beside him minutes ago being so glued in on the words that came from Naruto

"Naruto" Choji started "That was a story saucy enough to embarrass Kakashi-Sensei" Choji blurted chuckling a bit "Wow she really let you do THAT!" He laughed a bit heartier this time

With his teenage male ego Naruto couldn't help but brag a little "Yeah I guess it turns out the Uzumaki's legendary stamina is good for more than just battles"

This caused both of them to laugh

"No doubt you dog, no doubt. But what happens with the new priestess? I mean she's your daughter right?"

Naruto shook his head as if he finally remembered something "Oh no, she's not mine, it turns out that my um-you know, never took, and Land of Demon law says that no man can be part of the ritual twice so she had to find another suitor, but it didn't make that night any less special"

"Lucky dog" Choji retrieved his bag of potato chips and held the bag through the prison bars offering Naruto a handful

"I'll make sure not to take the last one"

"You better not or I'll keep you locked up for another night"

The two friends laughed again

"Say Choji, how did you get to become the warden anyways?"

"What did you think the Akimichi family did? We're the village's prison guards. The Akimichi's, the Yamanaka's and the Nara's have always been the backbones of the Konoha justice system. The Yamanaka's are the interrogators, and the Nara's are the military minds"

"I never realized all you guys had such high expectations to live up to, but wait isn't Ino taking over the family business?"

"Yeah her dad is teaching her the advanced methods of mind probing jutsu. Wait did you think that meant the flower shop?" Choji laughed again "That's just her mothers hobby, she has plenty of cousins who could take over that business if they needed to but I doubt her mother will retire any time soon"

The two talked for a while longer, catching up on other matters when they heard footsteps coming from deep inside the small prison

"Who's there?" Choji called "Identify yourself before coming any closer"

"Choji if you are really going to make me go through proper procedure to make a visit then I just won't bother, I don't need to take your troublesome precautions"

"That has to be Shikamaru" Naruto began to smile "Shikamaru get in here let me see you"

The young man strolled in from the darkened prison halls his face illuminated by a dim light that hung from his mouth. His appearance had not changed much, or really at all, unlike Choji whos face had matured with time Shikamaru looked just as Naruto had remembered, hair pulled up tightly behind his head and he still wore the traditional Konoha ninja gear, the only difference was the burning piece of paper sitting limply between his lips

"You picked up smoking?"

Shikamaru blew a cloud of smoke into the air then turned his attention to Naruto "Yeah must have been a bad habit I picked up from Asuma, figures doesn't it?"

"He won't admit it but the rest of us think it's to relieve some stress, demanding job, very high expectations from his family and the Hokage, a bossy girlfriend-"

"Shikamaru has a girlfriend?" Naruto gave his old friend a look of amusement

"Ugh the correct term now is bossy fiancé" He held up his left hand pointing to the gold band that sat on his ring finger "I keep telling her we're too young for any serious commitment but she insists its necessary, and it's too much of a hassle to argue with her"

Naruto examined the band a little closer "Don't typically women wear engagement rings and men don't wear anything until marriage"

"She insists I wear it, just don't get me started"

"So who is it? Ino"

Choji laughed but Shikamaru just rolled his eyes "I'm really sick of people making that assumption" He tossed his burned out cigarette onto the floor and stamped out the embers "No, it is not Ino, but I guess you wouldn't be guessing too far from her type"

Naruto thought a little harder when a wheel in his head clicked, a devious grin came across his face "Is it that girl from the Village hidden in Sand?"

When Shikamaru didn't answer Naruto snickered "You fell for the fan girl didn't you" Standing up he began prodding Shikamaru through the bars in the arm "Come on you can say it we're all friends here"

Shikamaru made a face of pure disgust and sighed "Fine you got me I fell for the fan girl"

His two friends began laughing louder than they had all evening

"Is that face priceless or what?" Choji roared

"Yeah okay get your laughs in but at least I'm not the one with a kid running around the Land of Demons"

"It's not his"

"What? But didn't you say-"

"Yeah Lee thought so too, but we just talked about it, it's not his"

"So he never got involved with-"

"Oh I did"

"What? Really?"

"Yup"

"Are you trying to tell me that you and the priestess girl-"

"That's what he's telling you"

"How?"

"Long story"

"Oh forget it, like I have the time to hear it, I've got to be back home soon anyways"

"Fan girl has a tight leash on you does she?" Naruto prodded

"Her name is Temari and I would appreciate it if you would call her that from now on" Shikamaru began walking back towards the exit again when he stopped and looked back

"Hey Naruto can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

Shikamaru stood in place and grumbled a little as if he were trying to make up his mind on something "Ah forget it"

"No come on, you said you wanted to ask me something now out with it"

"Troublesome" Shikamaru said through his teeth. He lit another cigarette and exhaled "I kind of need a couple more guys to stand with me on my wedding day, because you know Temari wants us to have the same amount of friends standing behind us when we get married so-"

"Are you asking me to be the best man?" Naruto said smiling from ear to ear

"No way, Choji's the best man, use your head, I just need to fill up the groomsman list ok?"

"Ok Shikamaru I'd be honored to"

Shikamaru cracked a small smile "It's good to have you back Naruto"

Naruto settled back in his cell "It's good to be back"

Choji hefted himself from his bench "Well I'm gonna follow Shikamaru out, I hate to leave you here like this but I need to be getting home as well, I know it sounds selfish but I'd rather sleep in a nice warm bed than on this cold hard bench"

Naruto waved him off "Don't worry about me, I've slept in worse places"

"Just a heads up you may have a bit of a big day ahead of you tomorrow so try and get some sleep"

Naruto nodded as he watched Choji chase off after Shikamaru

(_I'm really back, I didn't realize in until now, but I missed this place so much_)

His eye lids began to feel heavy so he laid back and decided to close them for a minute

"Hey Naruto wake up!"

"I'm not ready, let me sleep some more"

"Can't do that, Tsunade-sama needs you in her office now, her assistant is here to take you"

"Tell her to come back when I've had some more sleep"

"Let me handle this Choji" A young woman said

"Naruto we were going to discuss whether we should keep Ichiraku's Ramen stand open, your vote really could have helped, but it looks like we'll have to tell the old man to close down"

Naruto sprang from the cell floor "If the old man needs my help I'll gladly do all I can!"

He threw his fist up into the air "Save the Ramen!"

"I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that if we ever really need to make that decision" The woman said again

Naruto finally opened his eyes, though still bleary he could vaguely make out the two people standing in front of him, Choji was obvious but there was something familiar about the other blur. He rubbed his eyes trying to remove the haze that was clouding his vision, what he saw before him made his heart skip a beat

A slender pink haired woman wearing a black skirt and a red sleeveless top stood beside Choji outside the bars, her hair was held up in a ponytail all except for a few strands that lay over her Hidden Leaf headband that perfectly framed her face. Her top was cut at the top just enough to allow Naruto to get a glimpse of what lay underneath but it was her eyes that caught his attention the most.

He caught himself getting lost in the aqua colored orbs that had become locked with his own blue eyes.

"S-Sakura-chan"

"Hello Naruto" She said politely "Now if you'll follow me we have an appointment to make"

Naruto shook himself a little to try and regain some of his composure "I'll follow you anywhere Sakura-chan, you know that"

She gave him a pleasant smile and after saying her goodbyes to Choji headed towards the exit, Choji opened the cage and allowed Naruto to follow her out

Naruto walked behind Sakura for a while barely noticing where she was taking him, but he did manage to acknowledge those that passed him on the streets, which seemed to be anyone he passed

"Sakura-chan, where are we going" He finally asked

"Lady Tsunade has a lot to discuss with you, she has requested an audience with you"

"But we're not headed towards her office, where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there"

He continued to follow her to an old apartment building that had a large sign sitting out front, the sign read "Luna Apartments Home of Uzumaki Naruto"

"Is this my old place?" He asked

"Don't you recognize it?"

He shook his head "Not really, I remember it being a lot bigger, and looks different"

"Well you have grown quite a bit" She said

He hadn't noticed but he now stood a full head and shoulders over Sakura

"And they obviously need to keep the outside renovated so people will want to live here, although who doesn't want to live next to the hero of Konoha?" She smiled "Now go on in and change, you can't see the Hokage dressed like that, those pants are filthy and no doubt that prison cloak has been worn by someone other than you." She held out a key in her hand

He took the key and strode towards the building

"Is it the same room?"

She nodded "And take a bath while you're at it, who knows what's been living in those cells"

He chuckled at her remarks and walked towards his old room

"It's gonna be such a mess" He said lightly

He opened the door and looked on in amazement as he saw not only a clean, tidy space but the floors, the walls, and even the bed were all new, as if they had just been moved in days earlier. Lying across the bed and chairs were numerous wrapped packages, clothes and other items.

He was so surprised he didn't even hear Sakura walk up behind him

"A small collection of gifts from friends and admirers" She said calmly, they've been collecting over the years, a few of us have taken the liberty of keeping you home tidy while you were away"

Naruto looked at his desk and saw piles of notes that were signed and sealed from all different people (_Sakura, Sai, Kakashi, Hinata, Iruka, Shikamaru, Choji_) The list went on

"We often wrote you a small note anytime one of us stopped by, and there's a couple more surprises"

She walked over to his closet and pulled out an orange and black jacket that had been hanging up

Naruto's eyes went wide when he saw the old jacket his master had bought him

"Ero-sennin" He said quietly

"It won't fit anymore but we still thought that maybe you would want to have it"

Naruto inspected the jacket and even tried it on, though the sleeves didn't go any further than his forearms

"Last time I saw this it had been ripped to shreds, how did-"

"I found it after the war was over, but you were already gone, I- well a few of us thought we should return it to you, Ino even seemed it back together, we just thought you would have had another chance to wear it"

Naruto felt his heart ache a little in combination of his lost master and the kindness his friends had shown them even after he abandoned them

"And there's one more thing"

"Sakura I couldn't deal with any more surprises" Naruto said mildly

"I think you'll like this" She walked past his desk to a small door that had once housed his sink and toilet, she opened the door and though the bathroom was still there it had definitely doubled in size with a large bath and a mirror hanging over a brand new sink, she then continued to walk through the bathroom and opened another door, revealing a large sitting room connected to a kitchen

"What is all this?" Naruto stepped into the large room

"It's your home Naruto" Sakura said

"All this?"

She gave him a slight nod "The landlord expanded your living area, now since you are back you will have to pay a little more in rent but it will be nothing on a jonin's salary"

"Jonin?"

Sakura seemed to realize that she had said something she should not have "Oops, I let the surprise slip" She tried to wave it off "Tsunade-sama will discuss that with you more later but for now wash up, and get dressed, I'll be waiting right here if you need me"

She sat down on a large couch that was sitting in the middle of the living room

"Hurry" She added as he shut the bathroom door

She waited until she heard the water begin to run the let her emotions wash over her. She clutched her chest tightly as she tried to catch her now ragged breath. (_Hold it together Sakura_) She tried to tell herself

Though she managed to hold back any more tears she still had to let out a slow sob every once in a while that would just seem to creep up on her. She heard the water stop and checked herself immediately (_I can't let him see me like this, not yet, not until Tsunade speaks with him_)

She caught the bathroom door open out of the corner of her eye and readied herself, but was caught off guard by the site of Naruto's outfit

He had managed to remove all the stubble from his face, which allowed her to see a very long scar that extended from the bottom of his ear to his chin. He came out wearing a white button down shirt and a pair of black sweat pants

Sakura laughed at the site before her "Naruto you look ridiculous"

"What's wrong with the way I look?" He pouted

"Wearing that nice shirt with those pants? It's just….tacky"

"Well I put the pants on first but then I saw the shirt and I had to wear it"

She looked closer and the shirt and realized she had seen it before

"I couldn't ignore a gift from you" He said joyfully

"That's very sweet of you Naruto" She said "I would ask you to change but I think we've wasted enough time today, now come on let's meet the Hokage" 

"Right let's go get that jonin promotion from Granny" His smile brimmed with confidence

(_Naruto don't go getting ahead of yourself now_) Sakura wished she he could knock him down a peg, but had made a promise to Tsunade

The two walked mostly in silence as the approached the office of the Hokage with Naruto making an occasional comment about the village and how much it had changed

They finally reached their destination and Sakura turned to make sure Naruto looked as proper as he could "No please remember Tsunade has been under a lot of stress lately, so when we go in there do not be your boisterous self ok? Just patiently listen to what she has to say"

"Yeah I know, I'm not the same kid you knew before, I don't mean to brag but I've matured quite a bit"

A look of relief spread over Sakura's face as she reached to open the door she realized Naruto was already in mid kick ready to force the door open. The door swung inward with a loud bang and an even louder Naruto followed into the room

"ALRIGHT YOU OLD HAG, FIRST YOU'RE GONNA GIVE ME MY JONIN PROMOTION AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA GIVE ME AN APOLOGY FOR LOCKING ME UP"

(_Damn you Naruto!_) Sakura gave his arm a sharp pinch which seemed to calm him down a bit

"Is that so?" Tsunade resonded very casually, a small glimmer appeared briefly in her eyes "You'll get your apology"

This caught Naruto and Sakura by surprise

"AFTER I GET AN APOLOGY FROM YOU FOR ALL THE STRESS YOU'VE CAUSED ME THE LAST 4 YEARS. I SWEAR ALL THE PAPER WORK YOU'VE CAUSED HAS SUCKED THE LIFE OUT OF ME"

She took a deep breath to calm herself down "But there is a Jonin appointment for you waiting for my approval, we just needed you here to accept the promotion"

"Well I'm here, and I'm ready to accept any responsibilities that comes with the title of Jonin" Naruto gave her a thumbs up

"That's great but I can't just give you the title of Jonin, you haven't even achieved the rank of Chunin yet"

Naruto face planted into the ground "Do you mean I have to take the Chunin exams again?"

Tsunade revealed a very gratified smile "That's correct"

"But how am I supposed to register? I can't do it by myself"

"I'm well aware of that" She removed a piece of paper from her desk "You've already been assigned a squad and team leader that have applied for the Chunin Exams, you will satisfy their third member requirement" Her grin seemed to broaden

"Do I even want to know who it is?"

Tsunade pressed a button on the intercom that was resting on her desk "You may show our guests in now"

The door behind them opened and two men and a young girl walked in through the door, the first was tall wearing the traditional leaf ninja garb with dark circle sun glasses and a black bandana wrapped around his head. The second male was much shorter with a brown hair, large nerdy glasses and a very visibly runny nose he wore a pair of khaki shorts and a blue t-shirt. Finally was the girl who was slightly taller than the boy with long sky blue hair that reached to her waist and wearing a long purple t-shirt and shorts.

"Naruto" Tsunade said cheerfully "Welcome to Team Ebisu"

The sunglasses jonin gave a wicked smile as Tsundae finished her sentence

"You're sticking me with the pervert! Isn't there anyone else you can assign me to"

"This is the only team with an empty slot that is ready to take on the upcoming Chunin exam, so unless you want to wait another six months I suggest you comply. I understand you are familiar with both Ebisu and Udon so the transition should be relatively easy"

"Udon?" Naruto turned to the runny nosed kid who was wearing a goofy grin on his face

"Don't you remember me boss?" The boy asked

Naruto's eyes opened wide "Udon! Of course! But I thought you were teamed up with Konohamaru and Moegi"

Udon hung is head "They've both already passed the Chunin exams"

Now it was Naruto's turn to hang his head "Those twerps became chunin before me?"

Ebisu walked up between them and laid a hand on both of their shoulders "Yes, yes we all know how pathetic you two seem right now, but this is no time to sulk" He handed Naruto a small card "This is your entrance ticket, now I know you recently arrived back into town so we will not hold any team exercises today, but I do expect you to be at the training fields first thing tomorrow morning. Understood?"

Naruto begrudgingly took the ticket "Yeah I understand"

"Good, now Team Ebisu dismissed!"

Naruto's new team mates walked out of the Hokage's office leaving Naruto alone with Sakura and Tsunade

"I know you're mad at me Granny but to place in that perverts squad? That's a low blow"

"I already explained to you why it was necessary, now I am very busy so if you would kindly leave I have a lot of work to do"

"Really that's it? You're just gonna assign me a team and send me on my way? No welcome back? No long winded speech about how irresponsible or selfish I was for leaving the village for so long"

"Naruto I simply do not have the time, now I have already asked you politely to leave. You are dismissed" The hokage shook her head motioning him towards the door "I suppose there is one final thing"

Naruto turned to look back at her and saw she had extended her hand with another piece of paper "Please be at this address tonight by 7 o clock sharp, there is a very important meeting being held there and it is imperative you attend"

"Why is that?"

Sakura nudged Naruto in the ribs, "Just take the paper and go already"

Annoyed Naruto did as she said reading the address out loud "I've never been here before, what is it?"

"It's just one of the town's meeting halls, now I won't say it again you are dismissed"

Naruto took the paper and left waiting for Sakura to follow him, when she did not follow suit he gave a very audible snort and stormed out the door

"Great now I have nothing to do until this meeting, and I know that's gonna be a drag" He pouted as he walked away from the Hokage's office

He hadn't walked far when a large rubber ball rolled up to his feet, he picked it up and began looking for who it belonged to, finally spotting a small gang of wide eyed children he walked over to them and knelt down beside them

"Is this your ball?" He asked holding the red orb in front of him

One of the young boys gave a slight nod but didn't say anything

Naruto handed him the ball and gave him his classic wide smile, he began to walk away when he felt a weak tug on his pants leg, when he looked down he saw a small girl with a nervous look on her face

"Mr. Naruto would you please play with us?" She said softly

The other children nodded along

"You guys know who I am?" He asked

They all nodded again "My daddy says you're a great hero" One of the boys cried out, the others all chimed in

Naruto's face went crooked as he tried not to get watery eyed around the children (_Gah that's the most adorable thing I've ever seen, they all admire me_)

"Plus my brother says you act like a little kid, so you should be real fun to play with"

This caused Naruto to fall to his hands and knees "You don't say?" He picked himself up and dusted his clothes off "I would love to play with you guys"

The children all cheered as they began tossing the ball again. Naruto played with the group all through the day and as time passed by more and more children came along until he was standing alone in a sea full of small bodies

"Well this won't do" He said laughing "There's so many of you and only one of me, I guess the only thing that would make things fair would be to make more of me huh?" He crossed his fingers and shouted "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Soon a whole dozen Naruto's were playing with the villages children while from a distance, parents, grandparents, and other residents looked on. Feeling great admiration for the young man they once shunned

After hours of play time the children began getting called back to their homes, many parents stopped to thank Naruto for his kind actions

Finally the last child began walking home when she suddenly stopped and turned around and ran back towards Naruto. He recognized her as the girl who had asked him to play in the beginning

She held up her hand and in he saw a small white flower that had just been picked "Thank you for playing with us Mr. Naruto" She said as she extended the flower towards him

He took her offering and gave her a slight pat on the head "It's beautiful thank you, um…"

"My names Mai" She said bowing "I have to go home now, bye!"

"Thank you Mai" He called out after her. Looking into the sky he realized that it was getting late "If I'm going to show up to that meeting I should probably clean up a bit first

He returned home and bathed again, changed his clothes once more to the only other clothes that he could find, also from Sakura, a plain orange t-shirt and a pair of white shorts (_How did she know what would fit me?_) He was amused at her efforts to help him settle back in at home. (_Maybe I can convince her to take me shopping, after all I need more than just two outfits_) He chuckled

After leaving his house he headed straight for the street that the meeting hall was located. He looked at the address again "This is right by where Guy-sensei's house is. I wonder how he is"

Naruto finally found himself standing in front of the address that was given to him "T-This is Guy-Sensei's house!"

Confused he knocked loudly on the front door. For a moment there was no sound by finally he heard footsteps and heard the door creak open but it wasn't Guy that stood in front of him.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Naruto? What are you doing here?" Iruka paused for a second "Wait what are you doing in Konoha?"

"Don't act like you don't know Granny had the ANBU drag me back here. What's going on?"

"What do you mean Naruto?"

"Granny told me to come to this address but this is Guy-sensei's house! And then you open the door! Something fishy is going on here"

"I'm as confused as you are" Iruka scratched his head "Why don't you come inside and we'll figure this out"

Naruto stepped into the house "Why is it so dark in here?"

Suddenly a light flickered on and a loud "SURPRISE" came from a collection of familiar faces across the room Lee, Tenten, Guy, Shizune, Kiba, Neji, Temari, Kankuro, Ino, Moegi, even Teuchi from Ichiraku Ramen and his daughter Ayame. And of course those he had already seen, Tsunade, Shikamaru, Choji, Sakura, Shino, Sai, Ebisu, Udon, his new girl team mate and Yamato

Naruto scanned the crowd and saw a large WELCOME HOME' banner stretched across the room

Naruto made his way through the crowd of friends shaking hands accepting hugs and making conversation. He was delighted to see everyone who had shown up but was most surprised when his eyes fell on a red headed boy standing in the far back corner

"Gaara!"

The Kazekage lifted his head head and gave his old rival a very honest smile "It's good to see you Naruto, if I'm not mistaken the last time you and I crossed paths Taka was raiding the Village Hidden in Sand's library" His tone became very serious "You caused quite a commotion you know"

The room suddenly got quiet as the attendees of the party looked at the two former Jinchuriki's face off

"Those Sand shinobi were unusually easy to evade you know" Naruto pointed out "But you wouldn't just let a couple thieves off the hook like that would you?"

Gaara took a few steps towards Naruto "I don't know what happened to those scrolls that were reported missing, but I do know that if they were destroyed the world is a lot better off without them" He grabbed Naruto's hand and shook it vigorously

Every onlooker in the room seemed to exhale simultaneously when they realized there was no real confrontation

"Feel like telling us this story Naruto?" Choji said as he and Shikamaru approached the other two

"Nah not this time" Seeing Choji's disappointment he added "ask me again later or something"

"I'll hold you to that"

Naruto went around getting reacquainted with all his old friends. While talking to Iruka and Tsunade he noted a few key faces were missing

"I haven't seen Hinata, or Konohamaru or Kakashi-sensei all night"

"They are unfortunately still all on missions" Tsunade said while gulping down another glass of Saki

"They did their best to return in time I'm sure" Iruka said

The party finally began dying down and one by one Naruto's friends shuffled out in their own manner. Iruka and Teuchi helped carry a very drunk Hokage back to her home and Ayame followed her father out the door.

Shikamaru said his goodbyes as he left with Kankuro, Gaara and Temari once she had shown Naruto her engagement ring for the 30th time that night

"He's seen it already you troublesome woman, let's get home already" Shikamaru gave Naruto a small wave goodbye and an apologetic face as he was lectured by his fiancé

Choji, Kiba and Ino invited Naruto to the local bar since they were now considered by the village to be of age. He remarked he'd catch up if he could and watched them leave.

Finally it was just Sakura and Naruto as they waved goodbye to Guy and thanked him for hosting the event

"It was my pleasure" He called after them "Parties with good friends keep the soul youthful! Isn't that right my love?" He pointed to Shizune who was standing beside him in the doorway

"I suppose it is" She rolled her eyes and waved goodbye

"I still can't believe Shizune married Guy-sensei" Naruto said as he and Sakura began to walk through the now empty streets "Seriously I didn't see it coming" He slowed his pace a bit to keep in time with his former team mate

"May I walk you home?" He offered his arm to hold onto but she politely declined

"I wouldn't mind the company though" She said

The two continued to walk through the night but nothing more was said until they reached Sakura's new apartment

"Goodnight Sakura-chan" Naruto turned to leave but he felt Sakura's fingers wrap tightly around his hand "Sakura-chan?"

"How could you Naruto?" She stammered

"What?"

"How could you leave me? How could you do that to me?" She raised her head and he could see tears rolling down her face

"Where is this coming from? You've seemed fine all day; did I do something to upset you? What did I do?"

"You know damn well what you did! After everything I went through after Sasuke left, you go and take off without so much as a goodbye? Just when I think that I can have both of you in my life again the two of you disappear together, and while you had each other I had no one. I accepted that Sasuke would leave me again but I never thought you my best friend would hurt me like that Naruto"

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself, when Naruto tried to approach her she stepped back

"I cried and prayed almost every day you were gone that you would come back to me, I searched all over for you for months but I could never catch up to you, it was like losing a part of me all over again and I couldn't bear it so I finally came home and I waited which was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. And now that you're here I-I-I just don't what to do"

She leaned against the wall of her apartment for support exhausted from having to keep her emotions bottled up for so long "I want to scream at you, I want to hit you, I want to do so many terrible things to you. But what I want most of all Uzumaki Naruto-"

Naruto closed his eyes waiting to get just what he deserved for hurting someone he cared so much for but instead he felt two arms wrap tightly around him

"Is to hold onto you forever" She buried her face in his chest and cried

Naruto laid his head to rest on hers and began to stroke his old team mates back in an attempt to sooth her

When she finally calmed down she wiped the tears from her eyes

"Sakura-chan-" He began but she cut him off

"No Naruto you don't have to say anything, I just really needed to get all that off my chest for a very long time. I'm just so glad to finally have you back. I'm still so very mad at you, but maybe I can start to forgive you" She teased

Naruto tried to find the right words to say but didn't get the chance as a soft voice came from behind them

"Naruto-kun?"

* * * * * * * * ?

_**Whew! Long chapter I know, and it seems like a lot of fluff, but I kind of wanted to emphasize how the village feels about Naruto now, and kind of show how he can transition back into Konoha life, I thought it would be nice to have a kind of filler chapter you know? Hope you enjoyed it!**_


	6. Night Walk

Finally got finished reading that last chapter? Took you long enough! Typing that whole thing really killed my hands. I promise if it looks like this chapter is getting too long, I'm cutting it in half.

I wish I knew what you guys thought of the story so far =/

Are you guys even reading this? Does anyone actually read this story? Guess it doesn't matter I get to post it anyways right? Enjoy!

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 6: Night Walk

Naruto found himself face to face with a black haired woman dressed in full ninja gear whose mysterious white eyes were locked on him

"Hinata-" Naruto was so stunned by the young woman's appearance he almost forgot he had another kunoichi wrapped around him. Hinata no longer looked like the young shy girl he had known from before, she like Sakura had become a beautiful young woman, though her ninja gear hid it Naruto couldn't help but suspect that she had continued to develop quite nicely, she had always been eyed by other boys because of her figure, but she often paid no attention to them.

He looked down at Sakura who caught his gaze and released her grip on him with a slight pink tint to her cheeks. She too turned her attention to the ninja that had appeared out of thin air

"Hello Hinata" Sakura said politely

"Hinata-" Naruto spoke again "It's been a long time"

"It-it has, hasn't it?" her words were very timid

"Hinata are you still bashful around me?" Naruto said with a hint of amusement in his voice

She turned bright red at his words and hung her head ashamed of herself

"That's actually kind of cute" Naruto said catching both women by surprise

Hearing him spoke those words caused a small lurch in Sakura's gut, she took a step back inching herself closer to her apartment (_I should really let them be alone_) trying to make as little noise as possible she hurried from her two friends and made her way upstairs.

As she shut the door she felt a small knot in her stomach (_I really don't want to think of those two alone together, but why should I care?_)

She thought about the way Naurto had comforted her as she made her way to her bedroom. She passed a mirror that was hanging in her living room and caught her reflection; it wore a slight smile and had a little color in its face. She felt a pleasant warmth rise from within her as she recalled the embrace of her friend once more and took the old leaf headband out of her pocket (_It's good to have him back_)

Back downstairs Naruto and Hinata had been catching up, as their conversation continued Hinata had grown steadily more confident

"I wish I could have been here when you became a jonin" Naruto said "I'm sure Neji and your father are very proud"

"You think so?" She said shyly "I guess my father was, and Neji did go out of his way to congratulate me and he even presented me with a gift" She pointed to a small necklace that had a small golden character for 'Pride' hanging from it

"Hey Sakura-chan look at that" He turned around to look for his friend but she was nowhere to be seen "Sakura-chan? I guess she went upstairs"

Hinata's gasped "Oh no Naruto I must have chased her off, I shouldn't have interrupted you two" She retreated her hands back to her chest and bit her lip "I'm so sorry Naruto-kun"

He returned his attention to Hinata "Don't worry about it, I'm sure it had nothing to do with you, I gotta admit we've both had a long day, she was probably eager to get some rest. Speaking of which, didn't you just get back from a mission? You should get to bed as well; I don't want anything to happen to you"

She blushed at his words and felt herself growing faint, as she began to lose her footing Naruto caught her and kept her from falling to the ground

"See this is exactly what I meant"

"I'm sorry, you're right" She spoke frailly (_Darn it Hinata, you should have grown out of this_) "I should return home right now and get some rest" She took a few steps and stumbled but was caught by the Genin once more

He wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her up "Here maybe it'll help you walk if you have some support, put your arm around my waist and we'll walk you home together"

Hinata reverted back to her twelve year old self at his actions (_Naruto-kun is walking me home, he's got his arm around me_) Her face turned so dark it was almost purple (_He's got my arm around him! Is this ok? Hold together Hinata you can do this!_)

"T-Thank you for the help Naruto-kun"

"Of course Hinata, plus this will give us some quality time to catch up"

They continued their walk making mostly small talk, but both seemed to greatly enjoy each others company

(_This may be the first real conversation I've ever had with Naruto-kun_) She began to relax and the feeling began to return to her legs (_Maybe if I just hobble along a bit longer he won't let go_)

"Are you feeling well enough to walk on your own Hinata?"

She shook her head hoping she was able to hide her mischievous smile "I apologize Naruto-kun but I could use your help for just a bit longer"

"If you insist"

(_It's working! You did it Hinata!_) She saw the hand that had moved up from her waist and was now lying over her shoulder and longed to take a hold of his hand, but found herself being held back out of fear of embarrassment

(_Go for it!_) A voice inside of her said (_You've waited this long, and tonight you've already gone this far, what's there to lose!_)

Hinata did just that, she very slowly forced her hand to make its way next to his and then carefully wove her fingers in between his feeling her heart skip a beat

She tried to avoid eye contact and act casual but she caught the blonde's curious stare

"I-I just thought that-that maybe it would, help"

Naruto wrapped his hand tightly around hers "Well if it will help I guess I can't say no"

Inside Hinata was cheering (_This is really happening! I love this new me! I don't even feel like fainting_)

"So Hinata, Lee tells me that you're training your own Genin now"

She was shocked that he had resumed their conversation after walking in silence for so long

"Yes I do, they're a wonderful bunch of ninja, I have two boys and a girl, much like the groups that were together when we were young. I can't believe how fast they're learning. One of the boys is named Yoshi, he's my favorite. He reminds me a lot of you Naruto-kun, he says he didn't always do well in his studies but he's come so far in just the few months I've been teaching him. I can't wait to watch him take on the Chunin exams next week"

Naruto saw the pride in Hinata's eyes as she spoke about her students "That might be one of the first times you've spoken to me with so much confidence" He mused

"What can I say Naruto-kun, I guess I'm all grown up"

"Well if I remember a couple minutes ago you were still pretty shy"

Hinata's confidence seemed to falter at that remark

(_Baka! Guess she's not used to teasing yet, say something to make her feel better_)

"But you're right, you really have grown up, the way you talk about your students, I can tell you've really changed Hinata"

Straightening herself she gracefully accepted the compliment

"I hope I don't have to take any of them on during the Chunin exams"

This caused Hinata to completely lose her grip as she stumbled out of Naruto's hands

"Y-Y-You're taking the Chunin exams? But you don't even have a team"

"I was assigned to Ebisu and have my first team meeting tomorrow, Granny Tsunade wants me to take the exam so she can promote me to Jonin, don't get me wrong I want to be a Jonin, but I don't see why it matters"

(_This isn't fair, how are any of my students supposed to compete if they come up against Naruto? Maybe I should pull mine, maybe I should warn Tenten, Kiba, and Lee and have them pull their students as well_)

"Is everything alright Hinata?"

Hinata pulled herself from her thoughts "Yes, everything is just….fine" she said flatly "I'm feeling much better now, I thank you for all your help, but I promise I can make it home on my own, it's not far" She began walking towards her home "Goodnight Naruto-kun"

"Goodnight Hinata"

He turned and made his own way back to the heart of the village, exhausted from a long day

Hinata practically raced back to her home, when she arrived she flung the door open and did a small victory dance and placed her hand over her heart which was beating just a little fast, she had been so excited by the progress she had made with Naruto in just a short time she hadn't noticed a half naked Tenten wrapped in the arms of her shirtless cousin who watched her 'performance'

"Maybe if we're real quiet we can sneak back into your room" Neji whispered

"No this will be more fun"

Neji didn't like the look on his girlfriends face

"Did your mission really go that well Hinata? Or is there some new development that's got you all riled up?"

Hinata stopped dead in her tracks "Tenten? Neji?" She felt the familiar burning sensation come across her face "Oh no it was just my mission, nothing else"

Tenten hopped onto the table behind her as she gave her room mate a very fiendish look

"You are going to give me every detail you can about this boy that's got you so giddy"

Hinata's blush lessened as she prepared herself for the lengthy girl talk, after regaining some of her former composure she turned on her cousin

"Neji I asked that you not have these inappropriate visits when I'm home. We had a deal"

Neji just grimaced "You were supposed to be out on a mission"

"Don't argue baby just abide by Hinata's rules"

Neji's face contorted even more, but he admitted defeat all the same "I'll go get us some clothes"

Tenten leaned forward placing her head in both her hands "Now start from the very beginning and don't leave out any naughty parts"

* ** * ** * * * ?

_**Two chapters in one day? I'm on fire! Hope you liked it, kinda mushy I guess, still kind of just fluff, but I plan on getting into some action soon. After all the Chunin exams are just a week away!**_


	7. Team Ebisu!

How are you guys? It's the weekend! Enjoy it, or you could sit inside and read this chapter, I mean if you want. I'll be at the beach!

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 7: Team Ebisu!

"So they're going to let Naruto compete in the Chunin exams?"

"That's what Naruto-kun told me"

Tenten had called a meeting between the four Jonin instructors that were within their circle of friends, along with Hinata; Kiba and Lee were seated at the table in the restaurant they had agreed to have their meeting in

Kiba growled "This isn't fair, what if one of our students is forced to compete against him? Unless it's a battle of wits they won't stand a chance!"

A loud bark came from below the table as Kiba's canine companion Akamaru presumably agreed with his master

"Naruto is well within his rights to take the Chunin exams, we all had the opportunity why shouldn't he?" Lee pointed out

Tenten turned to the other woman at the table "What do you think?"

"Well I agree with Lee, Naruto-kun is entitled to his chance to achieve Chunin rank" Hinata began tapping her fingers together nervously "But I believe I may encourage my students to wait until the next exam, I also agree with Kiba, if one of my students was to compete against Naruto-kun it would not be fair" 

"Well I guess it doesn't concern me as much" Lee said "After all I acted much like Guy-sensei and asked my students to wait a year before taking the exam"

Tenten leaned back in her chair "I've already decided, I'm pulling my group from the exam, they may not like it but I think they'll have a better chance in a Uzumaki-less competition. What about you guys?"

"No way!" Kiba thumped his hand down on the table "I'm not gonna let Naruto scare me into pulling my team, if one of them ends up having to battle him fine, and like I said they'll probably lose, but I believe I've trained my students well enough that if they were to take on any other ninja they would be just fine"

"I can't do it either, Yoshi and the others have been so excited I couldn't bring myself to disappoint them like that"

Tenten sighed, "Well let's hope you guys are right, I just hope my troupe won't hate me forever. I should call them all together and break the bad news"

A waiter arrived at their table carrying a large tray and laid a plate before Tenten "You're pancakes madam"

"Right after breakfast that is"

* * * * * * * * *?

Naruto laid in his new bed trying to ignore the sun that was beaming through his windows. (_I'm not ready to wake up, just let me sleep a bit longer_)

*Knock*Knock*Knock*

(_Oh great now what?)_

*Knock*Knock*Knock*

(_Go away_)

*Knock*Knock*Knock*

(_Just let me sleep_)

*Knock*Knock*Knock*

Naruto raced to the door and ripped it open "WHAT!"

Before him stood a very frightened Udon "S-S-Sorry boss, I-I-I was j-just-" 

"Just what?"

The younger ninja gave a small sniffle "I was just bringing you some breakfast ramen" he hung his head and held out a cup on instant noodles "I thought that since we're team mates now we could hang out a little before our team meeting." He gave another sniffle "I-I didn't mean to upset you"

(_Awe geez, what a jerk I am_)

"You didn't upset me Udon, I'm just a little cranky, I'm not what you would call a morning person. But I do love ramen, why don't you come in and we can eat together"

The runny nosed teen perked up "Really? Gee thanks Boss!"

Naruto warmed some water and invited Udon into his new living room

"Thanks for hanging out with me, I don't really get any time with friends anymore, since Konohamaru and Moegi became Chunin, and I don't really have any other friends"

"What about that girl on our team?"

Udon's glasses fogged up "Her name's Chiyo, isn't she the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

"Uh yeah…I guess, so you got a big crush on her huh?"

"Yeah, but I always get nervous around her, so I try not to say too much so I don't look dumb in front of her"

"Don't do that, she'll never get to know you, when I was your age I spent as much time with my crush as I could, I never held back, I spoke my mind, I invited her on dates at every opportunity"

"And that worked?"

This kind of caught Naruto off guard as he recalled the multiple times he got, smacked, kicked, ground pounded, and rejected. (_I can't tell him that, it would crush the kid, but I don't wanna lie to him_) Then he recalled the way she had fell in his arms the night before (_It may only have been in a friendly manner but it's still something_)

"I can assure you it definitely had an effect"

Udon's eyes went wide "Really! Wow Boss thanks for the advice"

"It's the least I could do for bringing me ramen, speaking of which, let's eat already"

The two ate their ramen bowls and relaxed in Naruto's living room

"So Udon, how many times have you taken the Chunin exam?"

"This will be my ninth time, and I still haven't made it to the third round" he placed his empty cup down on the coffee table in front of them "Konohamaru passed on his first try, and Moegi passed after her 3rd. I was top in my class before becoming a Genin but I haven't been able to advance past most of the skills we learned in the academy"

Naruto laid a hand on the other ninja's shoulder "Well this time you'll become Chunin for sure"

"I don't think so" Udon said sadly

"Udon you have my word that I guarantee you will complete the exam this year for sure, I'm gonna give you all the help I can"

"You mean it?" The young teens eyes grew wide with hope "Thanks Boss you're the best!"

"Don't mention it, first we just have to find your strengths, now which are you best at Ninjutsu? Genjustu? Or Taijustsu?"

"Um I'm not really good at any of those"

"What do you mean? Everyone has to be good at one of those"

"Not me, I don't have the physical capability for taijutsu, I don't have enough chakra for any advanced ninjutsu, and I don't posses the stamina to maintain a genjutsu"

"Well you've got to be good at something right?"

"I'm good at solving math formulas"

"What do you mean?"

Udon gave a cheery squeal as he pulled out a chalkboard and began to demonstrate his affinity for math equations. He wrote so quickly and spoke so fast that Naruto felt his head begin to spin until he finally collapsed from nausea

"Wow you really are good at math" Naruto said standing up still slightly dizzy, an alarm began going off in his bedroom snapping Naruto back to his senses "Uh-oh we better hurry to the training grounds, its 8 o clock Ebisu is waiting"

"What 8! But Ebisu-sensei said we had to be there at 7"

"I know I was planning on being late anyways, at least now I have a partner in crime" 

He sprinted out the door with Udon behind him "Boss don't you wanna lock up your house?"

"Nah there's nothing worth stealing in there!"

They ran as fast as they could through the town and finally came upon the entrance to the training grounds where Ebisu and Chiyo stood waiting both with very annoyed faces

"Your first day on the team and you are late" The jonin shook his head "Udon you've never been late, I expect it from Naruto, but not you"

"I'm sorry Ebisu-sensei" The genin bowed low "It won't happen again"

"Make sure it doesn't" the teacher allowed his 'rough' demeanor to lighten "Now let's give our new member a proper introduction. Chiyo, Udon please introduce yourselves to Uzumaki Naruto"

"I already know him sensei"

"Just do as your told dork" Chiyo said elbowing her team mate in the ribs "I am Rock Chiyo, taijutsu master!"

"Are you related to Bushy Brows Lee by any chance?" Naruto asked

Chiyo's right eye began to twitch "I am the cousin of the honorable Rock Lee, my master, my idol and my rival and you shall use his name only in the manner it deserves, I will not my cousin referred to as 'Bushy Brows'"

"Ok sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, and you Udon?"

"Um well you know me, I am uh…. Well Udon"

"Udon-san!" Chiyo shouted "You should have more confidence when introducing yourself to a youthful new team mate, be more energetic and give yourself a title that describes the passion that burns in your soul, like Master Dork Udon, Math Whiz!"

(_She's definitely related to Bushy Brows_)

Ebisu applauded his students "Great now we shall discuss our teamwork strategies for the upcoming Chunin exams-"

"What's there to discuss? The exams are a piece of cake, you pretend to take the written portion, answer the 10th question correctly, then survive the scary forest and beat up another genin in the finals, we've got this exam on lock, just follow my lead!" Naruto shouted proudly

"Written portion?" Udon's eyes went wide "Finally something I can do, how do you know the three stages of this years exam boss?"

"Udon you've taken the exam before, you should know what's in store"

"It's been different every year I've taken it, and I've never been lucky enough to get a written portion"

"Udon is correct Naruto" Ebisu adjusted his dark glasses "The exam changes depending on the three Jonin they select to proctor each stage"

"Who are the proctors this year?"

"Well I shouldn't reveal this information to you, but it's not like you'll figure out their strategies by knowing who they are. The first two you should be very familiar with, stage one and two will be proctored by Might Guy and Haruno Sakura"

"Haha this should be easy, there's no way my friends would let me fail, Tsunade's counting on me to pass"

"All the same, don't get over confident, there is still the matter of the third proctor, I am unsure on the details of who he is, all I know for sure is that he is from the Village hidden by Stone and who knows what tests he may put you through. So in preparation we will run a couple basic team drills so Naruto can get acquainted with our battle strategy should you guys need it during the exam. Now let's begin"

As Ebisu said they ran through basic drills over and over, attack formations, ambush tactics and the like, though Naruto followed his general assignments he didn't hesitate to improvise his own tactics which seemed to work very well with Ebisu's strategies

"Very impressive Naruto, despite your desire to ad-lib you seem to be in perfect synchronization with the team"

"Well I've had a lot of practice with toads" Naruto remarked trying to be modest

"Well I have no idea what you mean, but I think we should call it a day, we'll pick up again tomorrow, dismissed"

As the instructor and Chiyo took off, Udon was about to follow suit when Naruto stopped him

"What is it boss?"

"You seem to be holding back when you use your justsu's Udon, why is that?"

The young ninja pouted a bit "Whenever I use too much chakra I seem to lose control and my justsu's usually blow up in my face, I hold back for the safety of the team and myself"

"Well that's no good, if you hold back during the exams you could get really hurt, these tests can be dangerous you know"

"Well what should I do?"

Naruto cracked a wide grin "I'm gonna teach you chakra control using your natural element"

"My natural element? But I've never been able to use any elemental based jutsu, I don't even know what my element is"

"I know how to find out, give me a second" Naruto created a shadow clone that bolted away from the training grounds

"Where's he going boss?"

"He just needs to grab something from my supplies back home, he should return shortly"

They didn't have to wait long as the clone landed firmly beside Udon holding a single paper leaflet and handed it to the teenager before disappearing

"What is this?"

"It's a special sheet of paper that will let us know you're natural element, just hold it in your hand and wait"

Udon gripped the paper between his fingers and a second later it dissolved into tiny water droplets and spilt on the floor

"So you're a water type huh? Well that's not an element I've mastered yet but not to worry we'll work on its application later, for now let's just get you to release the element in a basic form"

"Doesn't learning to use element based jutsu take a really long time"

"Normally but most people don't have me to teach them, now we'll use an excersise Kakashi-sensei taught me to speed up the process, can you make a shadow clone?"

"Of course, but why?"

"Make as many as you can sustain without putting too much strain on yourself and I'll explain"

Udon obliged and after casting the jutsu stood beside 3 exact copies of himself

Naruto went on to explain that the clones can retain their own knowledge, then when they return to their host can pass any knowledge they learned onto the original host

From a distance the two team members were being watched by one of Naruto's old team mates (_Naruto, you've matured quite a bit, taking it upon yourself to prepare another ninja instead of preparing yourself, you're always thinking of someone else_)

"Whatcha lookin' at billboard brow?"

The voice of Sakura's former rival caused her to jump "Ino don't sneak up on me like that, ugh it is so unnerving. And I wasn't really looking at anything in particular just-"

"Just Naruto-kun?" Ino said pointedly

"What did you call him?"

"Relax it's a joke Sakura, I don't think of Naruto that way, you know much" the blonde kunoichi stuck her tongue out in a teasing manner

"Oh grow up Ino pig"

"So are you admiring your latest obsession or just happened by and figured you'd take advantage of an opportunity to spy?"

"Obsession? As if, Naruto is my friend, and someone who disappeared for years is it so strange that I want to make sure he's not trying to sneak off again?"

"If you say so, plus it's not like you'd really stand a chance, you would have some fierce competition from Hinata if you tried to make a move on Naruto now"

Sakura reminisced to the night before and how Naruto had reacted when Hinata had shown up (_It was like he forgotten all about me_) "Come on, I mean Hinata is beautiful but she's had a crush on Naruto forever, and he's never shown the slightest bit of interest, why would that change now?"

"I just heard from Tenten that they were getting real flirty last night is all, I hear he even carried her all the way home in his arms in the moonlight like a knight would carry a princess over the threshold in a story book, isn't that just romantic?"

"It's an exaggeration, Naruto doesn't know how to be romantic" (_But still I guess it's not so far fetched that he would walk her home, not that I really care, he can walk around town with whoever he wants, it makes no difference to me_)

"Again I've heard otherwise, Choji's got a very juicy story about Naruto and a certain woman from the Land of Demons that would make most people very hot under the collar, and you've seen the stamina he has in battle think about what he would be capable of in the mood? It's enough to make you blush"

Sakura was doing exactly that but tried very hard not to show it "Ino stop being gross and just let me be, and what are you doing here anyways?"

"Oh me? I came looking for you, want to grab some lunch, I've got some really good town gossip and I need to tell someone, please Sakura?"

"I've heard enough gossip from you already but I guess I could eat" She turned and started walking behind Ino back into town but took one last glance back at the two ninja on the field

"Sakura give it up already and let's go! You can ogle Naruto later"

"I wasn't ogling, I heard a noise behind me"

Back on the field Naruto had begun his training with Udon

"I'm not gonna lie kid this training is gonna be tough and it's gonna be tiring, but if you stick with it you'll be the best water user around"


	8. In Preparation

Hi Everybody! How are you all? Great, um that's all I have to say, thanks for the reviews I've received so far, keep 'em coming, appreciate all you who are reading my story, you all are great! Warning though, this is gonna be another mushy chapter: All manly men should fast forward to the next chapter, you know once it's up

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 8: In Preparation

Udon fell to the ground exhausted and almost completely drained of chakra "How was that Boss? Pretty impressive right?"

Naruto looked at the smashed boulder that lay behind the duo "No doubt Udon, I knew you had it in you, and just in time too, we've got just a day left before the exams, with the progress you've made we can take the day off tomorrow"

"What take the day off? But I'm just starting to get the hang of it, come on Boss we've gotta come back tomorrow"

"Sorry Udon but you're body needs rest, the Chunin exams are not gonna be a walk in the park and we need you in top shape. So tomorrow is a day of rest for both of us"

"Alright, plus after traveling all the way to the Land of Water we'll be pretty tired anyways"

"What are you talking about? Isn't the Chunin exam going to be held here in Konohagakure?"

"You mean you didn't know? The exam has changed to the primary village of one of the five great nations every time it's held, this years is in Kirigakure the Village Hidden in Mist"

"No! Nobody told me that! I gotta pack! I'll see you later Udon!"

Naruto leapt through the town in no time arriving at his home to find Sakura standing by his door

"Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto there you are" She greeted him with a light hug "I've been looking all over for you"

"Really? I guess if that's how you're gonna start greeting me I should disappear more often"

Sakura was caught off guard by his comment and felt her heart beat speed up "What?"

"Haha it's nothing, what are you doing here?"

"Lady Tsunade asked me to escort you to her office, she would like to speak with you immediately"

"Oh but I've really got to pack, I'm not prepared at all for the trip to Kirigakure"

This made Sakura laugh "Pack what? You've been wearing that blue shirt and shorts almost every day I've seen you"

"I could have other clothes, it's not like I've seen you at all this week, unless you've been spying on me, you haven't have you?"

Her eyes got wide "W-what, don't be-"

"Come to think of it though I haven't really seen anyone this week, I wonder what's up with that"

Sakura regained her composure "Naruto focus! Now come on we're going to see the Hokage"

When they arrived at Tsunade's office the sanin appeared to be much less stressed that she had been during Naruto's last visit, but her face still did not give him the impression that what she had to discuss was anything good

"Naruto" She began "I'm sure you're oblivious to the current political situation between the five great nations, though on the surface we appear to be at peace there is always turbulence below"

"Is something wrong with the ULM?"

"Not at the moment, the majority of smaller villages along with Kumogakure and Sungakure have been more than accommodating to the ULM, I associate the Raikage's and Kazekage's desire to remain on good terms with Konoha is because of their personal relationships with you, Gaara is a close friend and the Raikage's brother Bee is well known to have been one of your closest confidants when you had gone rogue. But-"

"But what?"

"But the Mizukage and Tsuchikage have strained their relationships with us greatly as of late, and have managed to gather a few supporters among the smaller nations which has caused much distrust amongst the politicians from each of the nations, now admittedly the Mizukage is much more tolerant of the ULM than the Tsuchikage but she seems to think that by siding with him she can garner some greater pull during our debates when the Lands Meet is together"

"What does any of that have to do with me?"

"Don't you get it Naruto? You're going to the Village Hidden in Mist to compete in the Chunin Exams, we need to remain on good terms with the Mizukage, I do not want you causing any trouble while you are there!"

"I wasn't planning on causing trouble" Naruto mumbled

"It seems to find you all the same, just please avoid any actions that could cause an international disturbance, I beg you"

"I'll try"

"I guess that's the best I'm going to get." She pulled her Hokage hat from behind her back and put it on "Now then Sakura let's take our leave"

"Where are you guys going?"

"To the Village Hidden in Mist of course, as Hokage they expect me to make an early appearance and participate in good will formalities, and Sakura is acting as one of my escorts along with Might Guy"

"Well then Naruto see you in a couple days" Sakura said politely "Be safe on your trip"

"You two do the same"

He promptly left the Hokage's office and headed back in the direction of his home, only to get stopped again. This time by Kiba and Akamaru

"Hey Naruto there you are! I've been looking all over for you"

(_You're the second person today who's said that_)

"I can't talk right now Kiba I'm busy"

"Hey Naruto where do you think you're going? I need you to come with me"

"And do what"

Kiba grabbed Naruto by the arm "Temari is making Shikamaru's groomsmen try on suits for the wedding, you're a part of the party you should have to suffer same as me"

"I can do it when I get back" Naruto insisted but his captors both growled viciously

"You don't think I'm not busy? I should be preparing my team for the Exams but instead I have to play dress up for Shikamaru's stupid wedding, and I'm not doing it alone."

Naruto tried to scramble away but only managed to get a few steps before he was nabbed in the rear Akamaru

"Good boy Akamaru!"

The ninja dog barked happily and trotted back to Kiba with Naruto still in his mouth

"You're coming with me" Kiba insisted

"Fine, I just hope this doesn't take too long" 

Three hours later Naruto emerged from the tailor shop with Kiba

A beaming Temari and an apologetic Shikamaru waved as they left the store

"Thanks again boys, you're the best! Shika-kun! Can't you go five minutes without lighting something up?"

Naruto snickered as he heard the young couple start bickering about Shikamaru's smoking habit "That was the most boring thing I've done in maybe…..forever"

Kiba nodded "At least it's out of the way, Choji and Lee still have to get fitted and it will not be easy to find enough black fabric to make Choji's suit"

"Why didn't you grab one of them instead of me?"

"Because I have something very important to discuss with you" Kiba stopped walking and sat down on a nearby bench with Akamaru sitting obediently at his feet

"Naruto you're going to be way more advanced than any other Genin taking this exam, knowing that Hinata and I have still decided to allow our students to participate"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Probably the same reason Tenten decided not to"

Naruto felt a pang of guilt "I didn't know her students were being pulled because of me"

"Well they are, and I don't blame her really" Kiba wore a strained expression like what he was about to say was difficult to properly express "Naruto, I don't say this often but you're one of my closest friends and I have a lot of respect for you, we've grown up together."

This made Naruto smile

"But I also know that you can be very reckless at times, as well as over enthusiastic, so I would just like to ask you to hold back while you're there, try not to overwhelm the other test takers, don't be a show off and don't all out, I don't my students giving up on themselves because they can't perform at the same level as you."

Kiba lifted himself from the bench and began to walk away but Naruto caught up with him

"Kiba, thanks for being honest with me"

This seemed to catch the jonin by surprise

"I understand your concern but you gotta give me a break, I've been part of the best gang of thieves in all the Hidden Villages for the past four years, you don't think I haven't learned some tact?"

This seemed to ease Kiba's tension a little bit and he began to walk away again but was once again stopped by Naruto

"I have a but too. I've made a promise to a team mate that I would help him succeed finally in reaching the title of Chunin, and I intend to carry out my promise to the best of my abilities, even if means I might fail I will stop at nothing to make sure I don't go back on my word, and should that mean using my abilities to their full potential I will let you know right now, I will not hold back."

"Because that's your ninja way" Kiba finished

"That's right"

Kiba took a few steps forward again testing to see if he would be stopped again, when he realized he was free to leave he continued on his way (_I hate to admit it, but he really knows how to command your respect, I hope for your able to fulfill your promise Naruto, and if you must compete against my students to meet that goal, you have my word I won't hold any grudges against you_)

Naruto waited until his childhood friend was completely out of sight (_Finally! Now I can go get ready to leave, and get some well deserved rest before the long trip tomorrow_)

He hadn't taken two steps when Ebisu leapt from a nearby roof and landed directly in front of him

"Naruto there you are, I've been looking all over for you"

"Why is everyone having such a hard time finding me today?"

"Enough of your senseless babble come on we're leaving for Kirigakure"

"What? Now?"

"Yes now, Chiyo and Udon are waiting by the entrance for us, I figured we would get a head start and reach the Mist Village by morning just in time for some pre-exam exercises, you're all packed and ready to go right?"

Before Naruto had time to respond his Team Leader grabbed him by the arm and began leading him from the village

"Perfect! Let's be on our way then"

Naruto gave in and allowed himself to be lead through town by the older ninja "This just hasn't been my day" he sighed

"Quit your whining and move it"

They arrived at the gates and found Chiyo looking more enthusiastic than Udon

"Alright Team Three, let's move out, we should be in the Village Hidden in the Mist by morning"

"Team Three? Isn't it Team Ebisu?"

"I can be both" Ebisu said as he took off into the night, Chiyo and Udon following behind

"Ugh I didn't even get to pack" Naruto sighed and followed suit with the rest of his team

* * * * * * * * * * ?

Deep in the forest overlooking the village two shadows stood watching as the group of genin as they took off into the darkness

"So are you satisfied yet? You've been watching over him for a week now, is he up to your expectations or what?"

"No I haven't seen enough yet" The taller shadow replied to his partner

"Are you serious? What exactly are you looking for anyways?"

"I want to see how he has lived used his potential since losing the Kyuubi, and I don't think he's been challenged enough, and the Chunin exams don't look to provide the competition necessary to make him use his abilities to their max"

"You're not gonna interrupt the Chunin exams are you? That is so cliché"

"No he's waited too long for me to take this opportunity away from him, but maybe a little confrontation would be possible afterwards, you know just a little friendly confrontation"

"I wish you would speak with a little more emotion sometimes, are you excited right now? Or are you trying to be menacing"

"I think being nonchalant adds to the mysterious essence of my character"

"Whatever let's just get going already"

* * * * * * * * *?

After hours of running Team Ebisu finally arrived at the bridge that lead to the entrance of the Village Hidden in Mist

Chiyo stretched her arms "Ah nothing like a nice run to keep you youthful right boys?"

She turned to find both her team mates and her sensei fast asleep on the ground

"Wake up you lazu bums! Sensei!"

She gave all three of them a good smack to the head leaving the three rubbing their heads

"You shouldn't strike your sensei"

"She hits like Sakura-chan"

"I've come to treasure these love taps"

Chiyo turned towards the village irritate "Stupid boys, I'm going to check into our hotel" She made her way over the bridge and disappeared in the mist

Ebisu stood up "Well no point in sleeping here, we've been treated to a room at the Village's most famous hot springs resort"

"Hot springs" the two boys cheered in unison

"This will be great for resting my tired muscles and restoring my chakra" Udon said rubbing his tired legs

"Yes and there are always plenty of beautiful young ladies at any hot spring" Ebisu wrung his hands in glee

The three crossed the bridge and found Chiyo waiting for them at the end

"Let me guess, you don't know how to get to the resort do you Chiyo?"

"No sensei"

"Maybe you should be more patient with your sensei from now on, if he needs a nap allow it, otherwise you could end up getting lost in a unfamiliar city"

"Yes sensei"

They made their way through the town spotting all kinds of ninja from lands across the globe.

"Look at all these Genin, Village of Waves, Village of Grass, Village of Steel, it's really something, there could actually be some fierce competition this year" Udon said admiringly

"No worries team Udon" Naruto patted the younger ninja on the head "As long as the three of us stick to our lessons we'll be just fine"

"Right boss!"

Once they had reached the resort Ebisu lead them to their assigned room

"Alright the three of us men will share a room, with another instructor, Chiyo you will with Hinata-san and two others"

The team broke off and headed to their respective rooms, Udon and Ebisu began unpacking their supplies reminding Naruto he had no clothes, no ninja tools, not even a toothbrush with him

"Udon I'm going into town to get some stuff, I'll see you later"

"Right boss"

"Take your time" Ebisu called "I will be relaxing in the hot springs"

Naruto got in the Jonin's face "I'm not gonna let you do anything pervy, understand?" He turned to his team mate "Udon don't let Ebisu out of your sight"

"Right Boss"

"Udon don't listen to him, I am your instructor"

"Sorry sensei, I gotta obey the boss" the Genin reached for a pair of towels and grabbed his teacher by the collar "Now let's go check out those hot springs"

Naruto made his way around town looking for somewhere he could shop (_I've never been good at buying anything but food, I wish I had somewhere here to help me_)

He turned a corner on a busy street without paying much attention to where he was walking and collided with another pedestrian

"Ah I'm sorry I didn't see you there….Hinata?" He held out his hand to help the fellow leaf ninja to her feet "Talking about wishes coming true" He said as she took his hand

She gasped at his remark "N-N-Naruto-kun" (_he was thinking of me, did he wish that I was here with him?_) "Y-you made a wish for me?" She tried to contain herself as she felt overjoyed at his words and his gesture

"Well kinda I wished I had someone to help me shop around town, I guess anyone would have really done"

Hinata hung her head slightly depressed "Oh, I understand"

"You're not busy or anything are you? We could explore the town together, it could be fun"

This seemed to cheer the young woman up as she accepted his offer and began walking beside him down the street

"So what are we shopping for Naruto-kun?"

"To be honest I need a change of clothes, some extra ninja supplies and maybe a couple other random things"

"Oh well I know where we could get your supplies, but there's a fashion district on the way so why don't we do your clothes shopping first, if-if that's ok"

Naruto was about to agree when his stomach made a very unpleasant gurgle

"Actually would you mind coming with me to get something to eat first?" He said sheepishly "I was kind of up running around all night and didn't take much time for breakfast"

"N-not at all"

She followed Naruto to a nearby buffet where he piled his plate with bacon, sausage, and waffles topping the whole plate off with syrup and pouring a sugary cereal over the concoction

Hinata grimaced as she saw the food selection her friend had made "N-Naruto-kun are you really going to eat that?"

"Well I wasn't planning on doing anything else with it" He noticed the pained look on her face "What?"

"It's just-it's just" (_Come on Hinata be assertive_) In an uncharacteristically brazen move she took the plate from Naruto dumped the food in a waste basket and made a run through the buffet line on her own, returning with a plate of fruit, eggs, yogurt a glass of orange juice and a conflicted look on her face

"P-p-please don't be made when I say this, N-Naruto-kun. B-but you really need to take better care of yourself, and-and that s-should start with eating better" She bit her lip and closed her eyes hoping his rejection would hurt less if she expected it

Instead she felt the plate and glass lifted from her hands, when she found the courage to open her eyes again she saw Naruto sitting back at the table eating the dish she had prepared for him

He paused after swallowing a large bite of a banana "You're just like Kakashi-sensei, I guess both of you can't be wrong about my eating habits" He took another bite of the fruit in his hand "Arrigato Hinata"

She smiled as she sat down with him "Y-you're welcome"

After breakfast they made their way to the fashion district, Hinata pointed to a fancy designer store to start looking but Naruto refused "I need clothes that I can wear in the exams tomorrow, there's nothing in there that can meet my requirements"

Hinata surrendered and instead followed him into a second hand shop where Naruto quickly gathered a handful of shirts and pants and placed them on the check out counter

"These are just what I need" He said showing her a gray long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of long cargo pants

They exited the store and passed a dress shop, in the window was a sleek black dress that caught Hinata's eye, she tried to resist staring at it but the young heiress inside her couldn't be assuaged

Naruto noticed where her eyes were locked and walked up beside her "You should go try it on"

"What? No I couldn't wear something like that, it looks…..revealing"

"Come on Hinata you know you want to, everyone needs to try on something nice right? If it will make you feel better we can go back to that designer store for me after"

"Y-you don't have to do that for me Naruto-kun"

(_Phew I almost thought I'd have to get dressed up in a monkey suit just to make Hinata feel better, dodged that bullet_)

He then felt a hard tug on his arm as he found himself being pulled into the dress store

"But if you insist it couldn't to try it on right?" Hinata said gleefully

(_Baka!_)

Naruto waited patiently as Hinata had one of the store clerks assist her in the dressing room, he saw the female clerk walk out of the dressing room and gave him a thumbs up, confused he waited for Hinata to follow her out, after a few minutes he made his way to the dressing room and knocked on the door

"Hinata are you still in there?"

"Y-yes"

"Aren't you coming out?"

"N-no I-I-I can't"

"Come on I'm sure you look great"

Naruto took a step back as he heard the door handle turn and what stood before him left him dumbstruck

The dress came just below Hinata's knee's and comfortably hugged her entire feminine form all the way to the chest where it cut off just enough to allow Naruto to admire the Hyuuga's cleavage but still remain tasteful. This time it was Naruto's turn to go bright red

"D-does it look ok?" She asked obviously self-conscious

Naruto did his best to try and focus on a part of the dress that completely covered the part of the body it sat over but his eyes seemed to instinctively make their way upwards until finally he forced himself to focus on maintaining eye contact, when he did he saw Hinata with a very satisfied smile though she was doing her best to look away as well, even though there was color to her cheeks she didn't seem to be offended

"Thank you Naruto-kun" She said softly

Naruto still found himself unable to talk he just did his best to remain a gentleman

"I'm gonna go back and change now" She turned her back to go back to the dressing room and as she did Naruto noticed the chest was not the only part of the body the dress accentuated

As they left the store Naruto noticed that Hinata had left the dress inside "You're not going to buy it?"

"No I don't have that kind of money with me" She said plainly "But I did really like it"

"Yeah me too" Naruto said without thinking causing both of them to blush again

As promised the two ninja walked into the designer store where he let Hinata dress him up in any outfit she could get her hands on. After about the 10th outfit he came out wearing a fancy black suit with a light blue vest

"Hey I actually really like this" He said admiring himself in the mirror "I look kind of suave don't you think?"

Hinata laughed as she agreed "Most definitely"

"It's settled then, I'm gonna buy it"

The two left the store and went around town completing the shopping Naruto had set out for, they spent most of the day together eating lunch, exploring the city and observing the other ninja who were seen entering the village for the exams. As the afternoon began to set in Hinata suggested they head back to the resort.

While they were walking Naruto spotted a ice cream stand and told Hinata to wait with their shopping bags for a second, when he returned he was carrything two small ice cream cones, offering one to Hinata he said "Here you go, my treat for taking time out of your day for me"

She took it from his hand and thanked him, as he prepared to start walking again he felt the kunoichi slip her arm under his when he looked down he saw that she had wrapped their arms together at the elbow

"That's a bit forward for you isn't it?" He teased

She didn't reply, instead she just pretended to focus on her ice cream, as the two finished their deserts they slowly allowed their hands to find their way to each other and clasped them together continuing down the street all the way back to the resort

?* * * * ** * *?

Sakura left the location of the Chunin exams with two other ninja following behind her, one from the Village hidden in sand and the other from the Village hidden in waves

"Thanks again to the two of you for helping me make my preparations for tomorrow, now I expect you to arrive promptly to help me grade the participants tomorrow"

"Of course Sakura-san" The waves ninja said and the two chunin took off

(_What a busy day, good thing we're staying in a hot springs resort, I will definitely need to relax before tomorrow, I wonder if Naruto is in town yet, maybe I should see if he has the afternoon off, I wouldn't mind taking a look around town tonight_)

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a familiar laugh coming from across the street, she looked in the direction it was coming from and saw just the guy she was looking for.

"Naruto!" She began but cut herself off as he turned in her direction and she caught sight of another woman walking with him, and it was none other than Hinata, she then saw the two were walking down the street holding hands which caused her to panic (_I should get out of here before they see me_)

She quickly bolted back to the resort flustered (_Stupid Ino, why does she have to be right all the time lately? Now I really need a soak in those hot springs, and maybe nice drink while I'm at it_) 

* * * * * * * * *?

Hinata and Naruto finally arrived back at the resort

"Well I should get back to my students and I'll probably make my way to the hot springs as well"

"Yeah and I should really get some sleep, I'm gonna need it"

The two reluctantly released their grasp on each other and Naruto watched as Hinata walked back into the front doors

"Good luck tomorrow Naruto-kun"

Naruto waited until she had completely disappeared from sight, he then turned around and made his way back into town for one last purchase

* * * ** ** * **?

_**Another double header, damn I'm on a roll lately hope you liked it, hell there might be a new chapter tomorrow lol**_


	9. The Exam Begins

I think I'm going to fast with this story, I don't give any of you time to digest the last chapter before I started this one. I may have an addiction =/

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 9: The Exam Begins

"All right Team Ebisu I hope you all got plenty of sleep" Te jonin leader admired his team who were all bleary-eyed and ragged

"Sensei it is too early for you to be this excited" Chiyo said grumpily

"No time to argue, the Chunin Exams will be starting soon, now off you go, I will see you all at the end of the day" He quickly ushered them out the door and waved goodbye

"He's just going to spy on the hot springs all day isn't he Boss?"

"Most likely Udon, oh well, maybe if we're lucky he'll get caught"

They made their way to the exam center which was an enormous coliseum in the center of the Hidden Mist training facilities, the team registered right away

"Ah Konoha's Team Three" the admissions officer said "You will be taking your first part of the exam in training room 106, good luck"

The team mates followed the directions to their room and upon entering saw hundreds of other Genin waiting for their exam to begin

As soon as Naruto entered the room which had been very noisy fell dead silent, as the team made their way through the crowd Naruto could hear the whispers of other ninja

"Is that him? Is that Uzumaki Naruto?"

"I think so, I can't believe they're making us compete against a rogue-nin. And at his level?"

"I hear he was listed in the Hidden Stone's private Bingo Book as an S-Class target"

"You're lying he can't be a Genin and be that strong"

"Don't you know he ended the Shinobi War by himself"

"I heard he killed hundred of thousands of Ninja, and not just the enemies clones, I heard he went insane and turned on his own allies too"

Naruto began to get frustrated as the rumors around him became more and more absurd

"Aren't you gonna say anything boss?"

"No Udon, let them talk, maybe if we let their imaginations get the best of them they'll quit, leaving less competition for us"

Naruto found his place against a far wall and leaned his back against it, with Udon and Chiyo standing next to him he looked up to see ever eye in the room was focused on him

"BOO!" He shouted sending most of the younger Genin scurrying to the furthest corner away from him and causing Udon and Chiyo to chuckle

Suddenly the main door slammed open and revealed six Chunin ninja lead by Sakura the seven ninja promptly made their way to the front of the large room and turned to face the students

"Attention, the Chunin Exam has officially begun, I am Haruno Sakura and I will be your proctor for the first part of this examination"

(_How is Sakura-chan going to examine all the classrooms at once?_)

"Now let me break down the rules of this part of the exam, one member from each team will be required to perform a Ninjutsu, a Taijustsu and a Genjustsu, the examiners and I will give you a grade determined on the difficulty of the jutsu, the originality of the jutsu and the execution-"

(_How disappointing Sakura-chan, this is no contest, even for the less experienced ninja, I'll be able to perform all three by myself, this will be great I can get my team past the first round by myself, I know enough powerful ninjutsu and taijutsu to blow these chunin away, and I can definitely create a passable Genjutsu….wait a minute has Sakura-chan been talking this whole time? I wonder what she was saying_)

"First contestant #49 Uzumaki Naruto"

"Now Naruto-san remember since Udon can't-"

"Don't worry Chiyo I know just what to do, leave everything to me I'll get us through this round no problem"

"You'll get us through? Naruto-san weren't you listening?"

Naruto didn't listen to Chiyo as she tried to grab his attention and made his way to the center of the room

"Uzumaki Naruto, first ninjutsu" He quickly made a group of signs with his hands and allowed a confident smile to cross his face as he stared Sakura down "Dust Release: Burning Cyclone!"

Mumbles came from the crowd and even some of the Chunin as Naruto was engulfed by a large dust storm, what surprised most of the participants was the whole room became incredibly hot

"Udon do you know what Dust Release is?"

"Yeah I do, I can't believe that Boss can use a jutsu like that, it requires mastery of three elements that are extremely difficult to properly sync. Wind, Earth and Fire, if you allow too much fire chakra the jutsu will engulf you in flames due to the combination of wind chakra."

"What does Dust Release do?"

"It creates a vacuum of air that traps large sand and gravel debris for power and mixes fire jutsu to super heat the stones and sand in the vortex, it's like getting hit with a tornado, a rockslide and a volcano at the same time, but still I can't believe Boss used a Ninjutsu, he must have been over eager to get the exam started"

The entire room stared in awe as Naruto executed his jutsu perfectly

Sakura and the Chunin began marking down scores on their clipboards

"Now for my second jutsu-" Naruto began but was quickly tackled by Chiyo

The eyes of the proctors perked up as they looked at the the two Genin standing in the middle of the room

(_Naruto! I knew you wouldn't listen to all the directions_)

"Did he just say he was going to perform a second jutsu?" Sakura asked

Naruto was about to reply when Chiyo kicked him hard in the shin "No, no he was just leaving the floor" 

She dragged him over to the side of the room as the next contestant was called to the front

"What are you doing Boss? They just told us one member can only perform one jutsu! And then you go and perform a ninjutsu? You know Chiyo and I can't do any genjutsu, that should have been left up to you!"

"You can only perform one jutsu?"

"Yeah obviously they're trying to weed out unbalanced teams, you know teams that focus on teaching all their students one type of jutsu"

"Damn, I'm sorry guys I wasn't listening"

His team mates gave him incredulous looks "Baka!" Chiyo punched the ground "That's it we're disqualified, if Udon can't perform a proper genjutsu we're all disqualified"

"All of us?"

"You stopped listening early didn't you?" There was plenty of anger in Chiyo's voice "So what are we going to do?"

"Well if you're name comes up next Chiyo you'll perform your taijutsu, while Udon and I work on figuring out a easy to learn passable genjutsu"

"Any jutsu performed that is not for the proctors results in disqualification, you can't teach him anything while we wait!"

"Damn" Naruto watched as the first participant of the exam was disqualified trying to perform a taijutsu

"#12 is disqualified, #88 and #51 must also leave"

"What are we gonna do Boss?"

"Just let me think"

Naruto watched as one by one genin made their best attempts at performing passable jutsu's, the numbers of students that were dismissed began to increase, and since they were leaving in threes the numbers in the room began thinning quickly

(_It looks like Sakura isn't the only person able to disqualify you, it looks like you have to impress all seven ninja to pass_)

"#3 Rock Chiyo"

"Any ideas yet Boss?"

"No not yet, I thought about transforming into you, but they'd undoubtedly notice"

Chiyo performed a taijutsu as planned "Wind Leaf Hurrican Kick!" Her body rose high into the air in a spiral and she plummeted back towards the ground with an intense amount of force dropping her left leg into the classroom floor causing wood splinters to fly everywhere

Sakura and five of the other ninja quickly jotted down their scores but one of the Chunin hesitated

(_There's no way he can be thinking of disqualifying her, she executed that perfectly_)

Sakura turned to look at the Chunin when he looked back he simply shrugged and wrote his marks on his chipboard

(_Phew I think she passed, now we still have to think of what to do with Udon, at least we should have plenty of time since we just went_)

"#101 um I can't pronounce the last name, but uh Udon"

The members of team Ebisu gave a simultaneous gasp

"But our team just went" Naruto argued

"I don't care" Sakura said coldly "The participants are chosen randomly, Udon step to the front of the room"

"What will I do Boss?"

"Udon front of the room now or face disqualification!"

Udon nervously made his way to the front of the room looking like he was on the verge of tears

(_Think Naruto think! What is Udon good at?_) Suddenly he remembered a conversation they had had when he first joined the team

"Udon!" He shouted "Remember what we talked about over ramen! Focus on your strengths"

Udon looked back at his team mate with a curious look but then the words seemed to click as he reached into his coat

(_I really hope this works_) Naruto watched as Udon removed a chalkboard and held it firmly in his hands so that the proctors could see it 

"Chiyo cover your ears"

"What? Why"

"Now if you will all please focus your attention on me-" Udon quickly went into explaining an advanced math formula he wrote the equation wrote so quickly and spoke so fast that the proctors couldn't keep up. Naruto watched as the other students in the room and even some of the Chunin began falling to the ground, obviously dizzy from the brain overload

When Udon had finished the students and proctors who remained upright including Sakura wore blank expressions, mouths agape while Chiyo and Naruto looked on with great big grins

Sakura quickly shook her head snapping out of the confusion "What-What just happened?"

One of the Chunin slowly picked himself up off the floor "Was that really a genjutsu?"

"I don't really know, I can't remember anything, it's like my mind went blank"

Sakura looked down at the other graders as if looking for some sort of consensus as to whether or not Udon had actually performed anything at all

Slowly but surely one of the examiners began writing on his clipboard and the other six followed suit

"What an amazing justsu" Naruto heard one of the Chunin say "I didn't think we'd see anything as powerful as that Dust Release technique"

"Obviously that's the best squad to show up to these exams, my head is still throbbing from whatever that kid did to us"

"#76" Sakura said rubbing her temples as if trying to relieve a dull pain "Please step forward, and will someone get me a damn aspirin"

Udon triumphantly sauntered back over to his team before being tackled by a joyous Chiyo, "You did it Udon" She squeeled as she lifted him off the ground and spun him around in a bear hug, she placed him back on the ground and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek causing his face to turn bright red and his glasses to steam up.

Naruto casually gave him a thumbs up which Udon returned

It took a while for the rest of the testers to finish but when they did Naruto noticed that the testers had gone from the hundreds to a much more countable number

"Looks like only seven or so groups passed" Udon said "That was more difficult than I expected it to be"

"The first part of the examination is now complete" Sakura said "The 21 of you who remain please proceed through the doors behind me to the second part of the exam"

The students did as they were told with Team Ebisu bringing up the rear, when Naruto passed Sakura she grabbed his hand

"Sakura-chan?"

"Naruto please tell me, was that really a genjutsu? Or did we pass you for playing a trick on us?"

"What does it matter? We've passed now"

Sakura did not seem pleased with his response but stood aside all the same, Naruto tried to pass but felt Sakura's hand still holding onto his.

"Sakura-chan?" He looked at his friend who had a slight pink to her cheeks, she forced herself on her toes and gave him a light kiss on his cheek

"Good luck Naruto" She said before disappearing into a puff of smoke

"A clone? So that's how she could observe all the test takers" He made his way into the next room with his team expecting another classroom surrounded by wooden walls but instead what stood before him was a giant stone wall

"What is this?" Chiyo said looking up "This thing must be a hundred feet tall, what's going on here?"

As the other test takers from other classrooms began to show up Naruto searched the crowds for signs of other Leaf Headbands (_I wonder if Hinata and Kiba's teams made it_)

"YOUTHFUL SOULS!" A loud voice came from the top of the wall in front of them

"WELCOME TO MIGHT GUY'S MAZE OF CONFUSION"

(_That's the best name he could come up with?_) Naruto hung his head

Guy leapt from the top of the wall and landed firmly before the class "The rules are simply, there are 90 of you who passed the first round the first 24 of you to find the middle advance"

"That doesn't sound so hard" A Hidden Sand ninja said

"Let me finish" Guy promptly held out his hand to silence the other students "This maze is extremely large, it may take many of you days to find the center, there are over 400 miles of wall in total to maneuver through, and you may also find some traps and trials along the way. Now understand this is a free for all, you no longer need to rely on your team to succeed, you may not climb over the walls at any time, you may engage any opponent you come across should you feel the need, but killing will not be permitted, should you kill another student you will be automatically disqualified"

"Anything else?" Chiyo asked

"That's it! Now Begin!" Guy took off back to the top of the wall to observe

The 90 Genin quickly took off and Udon and Chiyo quickly tried to split up but Naruto stopped them grabbing his team mates by the collar

"What are you doing Boss? We're falling behind"

"Team Ebisu won't be splitting up, we're going to get through this maze as a team"

"But it's a free for all" Chiyo argued

"We have a better chance at surviving as a group, plus I won't leave you two behind, we're going to the last stage together"

He let go of the two other leaf ninja, "Now what do you say? Let's solve this maze together!"

"Right!"


	10. Guy's Maze

Thanks to all of you reading and reviewing this story, it feels good to know there are at least some people who like my writing even if I'm not great at it, you all are the best!

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 10: Guy's Maze

Team Ebisu stood outside the giant maze that Might Guy the second proctor of the Chunin exam had set up. Though Chiyo and Udon were eager to get inside Naruto made them hold back

"Come on Boss we gotta go, it's been 10 minutes already, everyone else is getting ahead of us"

Naruto scratched his chin "Something just doesn't seem right"

"What do you mean?"

"A maze? That just doesn't seem like Might Guy's style, I mean I know he seems like he might be a little dense but he's actually pretty smart and he enjoys not just challenging himself but challenging others as well, and well a maze just doesn't seem to suit him. Plus it seems annoyingly similar to the second part of my first Chunin exam, how lame"

"Maybe we'll understand better if we get in there and get started" Chiyo said impatiently

"Fine whatever, let's just go, but remember stick close, I don't care if it is a free for all we're a team"

"Right" The three hidden leaf ninja took off into the maze in formation

?* * * * * ** * * * ?

From far above, standing atop the wall Guy watched as students battled it out with each other, others began falling for some of the pratfalls he and his team had placed, scanning around he picked up something that caught his attention, two 'groups' that were making their way through the maze, one group of two and another group of three

Guy chuckled (_It seems like we have a few test takers who already understand the true meaning behind this test, many of these students will take the free for all description too seriously and attempt to make it through the maze on their own thinking that they will reach the center quicker if they have no team mates to hinder their progress, if they try that attempt they'll never make it to the center, my assistants will make sure of that_)

Several ninja appeared at the wall standing beside Guy

"Is it time for us to enter the maze yet?" A Hidden Grass ninja asked

"No not yet, first I want to know which ninja have taken to forming pacts so early in the exam" He turned to a Hidden Stone ninja he had selected for his team "Think you can take a peak through the stone and tell me who the five ninja are"

The stone ninja began weaving signs with his hands as a response, when he had finished he plunged his head into the stone, instead of colliding with the wall his face sank into the solid rock, the ninja removed his head a few seconds later

"All five are leaf ninja, I've identified them as the members of Team Three: Naruto, Chiyo and Udon, and two of the members from Team Ten: Yoshi and Sugi"

"Team Ten? That's Hyuuga Hinata's squad correct?"

The ninja looked at a clipboard he had "That's correct sir"

"It comes as no surprise that the student of my Eternal Rival Kakashi has figured out how to properly maneuver my maze, I would expect nothing less from his prized student. I must also acknowledge Hinata's excellent tutelage, no doubt she has preached the importance of teamwork to her own students, I guess I should have made this portion of the exam a little more difficult"

"Can we go now sir?" A Hidden Ash ninja asked

"Of course, Go! Teach these young shinobi the importance of teamwork!"

"How will we do that?"

"I'll leave that for you to decide"

The chunin all gave Guy incredulous looks before leaping from the wall and entering the maze themselves

"You know sometimes I don't think that dude is all there"

?* * * * * * * *?

"I'm surprised we haven't run into anyone yet" Udon said as he scanned Team Ebisu's surroundings seeing nothing but hundreds of feet of stone wall "Are they all really that far ahead of us?"

Naruto came to a halt as the team came across a dead end

"Darn I didn't even notice a branching wall anywhere, did you guys?"

Udon shrugged

"We should retrace our steps and see if we can't find another way through"

They turned around to find another wall blocking their path

Naruto couldn't believe his eyes "What no way! We just came from that direction didn't we?"

"Guys the maze is moving" Udon pointed to their left and sure enough the wall began opening up, blocking one pathway but creating an opening for theirs

"I knew there was going to be more to this maze than just a few traps" Naruto said

They made their forward a bit more before seeing two ninja in a fierce kunai duel

"What do we do Boss?"

"Let's see if we can avoid them, maybe sneak past them while they're not paying attention"

The three stood waiting for any pause in the battle between the two ninja

"Now!" Naruto shouted, the three made their way forward expecting to blow right past the battling ninja, instead the two descended upon the team

"Fire Release: Flame Vortex!" 

The team managed to dodge the spiraling pillar of fire that had been aimed in their direction but found themselves showered by shuriken

"Duck!" Naruto shouted shielding his two team mates with his body, luckily most of the shuriken missed but a couple found their way into Naruto's back

"Boss are you ok?"

"Yeah Udon I'm fine" Naruto plucked one of the sharpened stars "Remember they can't kill so they didn't aim for any of our vital spots, they're just trying to disable us"

He stood up and faced the two ninja "So I guess we can't offer you to join us to reach the goal?"

"How could we know you won't betray us before we get there?"

"I guess you can't, and we can't really be sure you won't betray us either" Naruto cracked his knuckles "So let's do this, I've been hoping for a good fight for a while"

Chiyo and Udon arrived at his side "We're right behind you Naruto-san" Chiyo prepared herself to charge but was stopped by her senior team mate

"You guys will have to conserve your chakra and energy should this challenge take a couple days; I'm going to go alone on this one"

Udon gave a nervous nod to show he understood, Chiyo gave Naruto a pouting look but backed down

"Now as for you guys" Naruto said pointing to the opposing ninja "Don't blink"

He seemed to vanish in thin air catching all four ninja by surprise

"Where did he go?" the attacking genin asked each other

"I'm right behind you guys" Naruto laughed as they both turned around

He raised his arms about neck high of his opponents and struck knocking them unconscious simultaneously

"Hmmm didn't think they would go down that easy" Naruto said dusting off his hands "I'm a little disappointed, I was hoping to have a bit of fun, oh well" He picked up the unconscious Genin and laid them against a nearby wall

"Let's go guys" The three took off once more

"That was so cool Naruto-san" Chiyo cheered

Behind them the two ninja were being dragged into the wall, atop the wall Guy watched as he tallied off two more names on his checklist "These students are falling faster than I expected, regardless it's time to separate the true contenders from the pretenders" He pulled out a radio from his pack "Permission to directly engage the students is granted"

"Roger sir" the Chunin replied collectively

Team Ebisu continued their way through the maze when Udon noticed a large shadow descending on their position

"Everyone something big is coming!" He shouted

As the team members looked up they saw a large green orb hovering just above them as it got closer the three felt themselves being pulled towards the orb like it had its own gravitational pull

"What's going on?" Chiyo cried as she tried to maintain her footing only to slip and slowly start to drift across the ground before Naruto managed to grab a hold of her

"It's a gravity orb jutsu, the only way to avoid getting sucked into is by countering it with your own chakra equal to or greater than the amount expended to create this jutsu, and judging by the feel of it, someone very powerful must of cast this, no way it was another Genin, this is one of Guy-sensei's traps"

"Very good, I didn't know any of the participants would be familiar with this jutsu" As Naruto anticipated on of the chunin examiners poked his head out from the orb analyzing the team "I'm very impressed you're able to emit enough chakra to prevent you and your team mates from being pulled in, you could escape you know, but you would have to sacrifice one of your party"

"Well I'm not gonna do that" Naruto grunted

"Then your only other option is to defeat me, and with your hands full at the moment I would say that is highly unlikely, so hand over one of your team mates and I may let you go"

"Never, I'll hand over myself first"

"You know you can't do that, if you did your friends here would simply be swallowed up by my orb, they can't produce enough Chakra to oppose me, I can feel it"

Chiyo tapped Udon on the shoulder indicating that the Chunin had his full attention on Naruto "Let's take him while he's distracted" She whispered

Udon nodded and springing from the ground he and Chiyo attempted an assault, but the Chunin caught on and disappeared into the orb, just before either of the leaf ninja made contact Naruto pulled them both to the ground. He was breathing heavily and sweat was forming across his face

"Boss what's wrong?"

The Chunin reappeared chuckling and landed in front of the genin

"The closer any of you get to the orb the harder it is to pull you away, it's almost impossible for one person to escape when they're inches away from my orb but he managed to secure the both of you and tear himself away as well, I am very impressed"

"Boss just let us go, you need to complete this test" Udon begged, "Don't worry about us, we can always take it again"

"Shut up Udon" Naruto growled, he crossed his legs and seated himself on the ground "I'm not leaving without you two, but I can't fight this time, this is the kind of challenge I was looking for in this exam, it's gonna take a lot of chakra just to make sure none of us get sucked up into that thing so you two will have to fight him"

"There's no way we can beat someone who can cast a jutsu like that"

"Don't be so sure Chiyo, understand that he has to use a lot of chakra focused to maintain this jutsu, you may not even have to beat him but just break his concentration" He smiled as he wiped his forehead "I believe in you guys"

"How noble" the chunin said bluntly "But your efforts will be in vain, I assure you even while maintaining this spell I am no push over" He lunged forward at Chiyo and Udon who managed to dodge, they both attempted to counter with Kunai but he blocked their attack

"So you all are familiar with each other, you're not one of those makeshift parties other genin have been forming, you have strategy on your side, you may prevail over all" He caught Udon unaware and tossed him towards the gravity sucking ball, just before Udon hit he stopped in mid air and fell back to the ground, behind him Naruto began very audibly gasping for air

Chiyo struck out at the chunin with a flying kick nearly catching the ninja across the side of the head but he managed to avoid it at the last second

Udon then began weaving hand signs "Water Release: Cannonball" Udon charged at his opponent while a layer of water began to surround his body, when most of his body was covered he leapt from his feet and rolled himself into a ball spinning through the air using the water jutsu to give his body momentum until he came crashing into his opponent sending him flying backwards.

"That's quite impressive, but it wasn't enough to break my jutsu, you'll have to try harder"

He rushed at Udon and struck at the teens face, Udon was able to dodge but was now off balance open for attack. The attacker threw a fist trying to catch Udon in the chest but Chiyo managed to get in between the two of them and grab a hold of his arm, she gave a hard knee into the Chunin's stomach and then tossed him to the ground where he now found himself with her and Udon on one side and Naruto to the other

"Too bad kids you almost had me" the Chunin chuckled "that is until you allowed me access to your anchor" He through a Kunai directly at Naruto's face (_He'll no choice but to move, causing him to lose his chakra control and all of them will be sucked into my orb, too bad, they lasted longer than anyone else ever has_)

Naruto saw the kunai approaching but refused to move (_If I get up again there's no way I'll be able to keep Udon and Chiyo from being sucked into that thing, I've gotta stay where I am_)

"Naruto-san get out of the way!"

"Come on Boss move!"

(_Here it comes, I've got no choice, I'm gonna have to get out of the way_)

Just as Naruto was about to release his chakra the incoming kunai fell to the ground

(_What just happened?_) Naruto looked around him and saw two leaf ninja a male and the other though masked was visibly female at the very top of the walls around him, hooked into the walls using grappling hooks they were able to keep themselves from being sucked into the orb (_Who are those guys? And why did they help me?_)

"Uzumaki Naruto" The male called "My name is Yoshi, I am a fellow Konoha ninja, how can I help?"

"Yoshi" Naruto yelled back "I want to thank you for the assistance, the best thing for you to do would be to stay up there, give my team any support you can and if it's not too much to ask keep me from attack"

"Simple enough"

The two supporting ninja quickly began chucking shuriken at their new adversary trying to keep him off balance enough to allow Chiyo and Udon an opening

(_I'm in some real trouble now_) The ninja thought as he narrowly avoided a dagger that came flying over his head, looking up he saw Chiyo charging straight for him with her arms flailing in a circular motion in front of her body

"Spiral twister strike!" She cried as she plunged her hands into his gut sending him cart wheeling to the ground

"Water Release: Cannonball" before their enemy could regain his footing he was hit once more by Udon water jutsu leaving him completely vulnerable in the air

"Now for the final touch" Chiyo shouted triumphantly "Rising Star Sweeping Scissor Kick!"

(_Looks like this is the end, but let's see if I can't take at least one of them out with me_)

Chiyo caught the proctor right in the chin with a her right foot and both legs splayed wide, flipping her body upside down she used her hands to force her left foot into his chest, and as she was about to come around for one last kick she felt his hands grab her left foot and hand

"You've left yourself open!" She shouted bringing her fist down on the side of his head knocking him out cold, as the orb dissipated Chiyo and the ninja fell to the ground with a heavy thud

Yoshi and his masked Hidden Leaf team mate landed softly on the ground next to an exhausted Naruto

"Thanks again Yoshi" He panted and looked at his team mates "Udon, Chiyo you guys were great…Chiyo? What's wrong?"

The young girl had managed to release herself from her adversaries grasp but was dragging her arm and limping back to the group

"I don't know" As she limped closer Naruto could see two characters engraved on her wrist and her ankle

The masked ninja removed her shroud and inspected the markings, her head was completely shaved bald and though she couldn't have been older than 13 she was very tall, probably taller than Naruto, and quite attractive for such a young teenager but what caught everyone's attention when she knelt beside Chiyo was that the entire top back of her head was covered in three very intricate and colorful tattoos

"Well Sugi can you tell what they are?"

"They're seals that are placed to incapacitate only, they've seemed to have numbed all the muscles and nerves in her hand and foot"

"Can she walk?"

Sugi nodded "She could but not very well, and running would be quite a challenge there may even be a risk that if she applies to much pressure to her foot she could break something"

"So what do advise we do?"

"Well we could leave her" She started seeing Naruto scowl she gave him a reassuring smile "But since I know that is unlikely I suggest one of you should carry her"

Chiyo fumed "I will not be man handled through this maze, I refuse"

"Then you will simply have to forfeit, Guy's assistants are picking up any genin they deem unfit to continue and retrieve them, putting them safely outside the maze walls"

"I won't quit either" The taijutsu user stubbornly insisted

"Then I suggest you suck up your pride and let one of us carry you"

Chiyo seemed to struggle with the decision for a moment "Fine, but I will not ride piggy back, I am not a child"

Naruto scooped the young girl into his arms hefting her numb arm around his neck "It's settled then, let's get going" He gave Chiyo a thumbs up which she refused to return

?* * * ** ** * * ?

Back at the top of the wall Guy watched as his exam continued on, with only his Hidden Stone assistant beside him "How long has it been now?"

"18 hours sir"

"That long? I'm sure most of these students have about run themselves ragged, how many are left"

"44 sir"

"That's too many, my youthful spirit grows bored, how many have reached the center?"

"Only 7 sir"

"At this rate the exam will take forever"

"You did say they should prepare to hold out for days sir"

"I did didn't I? But I didn't think it would actually take this long, so I have a new plan, if you would kindly hand me my megaphone and then prepare to change the maze's design again"

"Yes sir"

Guy hollered into the megaphone "Attention youthful souls! I congratulate you on surviving this long, but I must admit I would like to finish this exam up soon, as it is seven of your comrades have completed the maze, congratulations to them, the rest of you will now need to make your way as quickly to the middle as possible, and from now on it's a straight shot"

"Uh sir? What should I do?"

"Flatten the walls entirely, they'll need to sprint to the finish"

The Stone ninja did as he was told and the two proctors found themselves slowly being lowered to the ground

?* * * * **** * * * ?

"What's going on?" Udon looked around at the walls as they began to sink back into the dirt below

"Looks like Guy-sensei doesn't have the patience for these lengthy examinations" Naruto shook his head "Doesn't really surprise me, he's not the most patient guy I've ever met"

The walls finally retracted entirely into the floor and the group of leaf ninja could see the other contestants standing around the now open area mostly consisted of makeshift groups like theirs, there seemed to be a slight pause among all the ninja as they located the center of what had just been a giant stone maze and saw seven ninja standing atop a glowing platform

Naruto's eyes shuffled back and forth as he waited saw other ninja finally come to the realization of what was about to happen

"Get ready to run" He said over his shoulder to the three ninja behind him

Suddenly at once the thirty plus ninja not standing in the middle all made a mad dash for the finish at the same time, soon there was lightning, fire, water, and sharpened tools flying through the air as the Genin all tried to slow their opponents progress to the center

Guy watched gleefully as his assistant counted off the ninja that were reaching the platform

"nine, ten, now thirteen, fourteen, fifteen"

Naruto and his team were now at a full spring doing their best to dodge any jutsu that came their way, Yoshi was casting his own fire attacks to keep other ninja from reaching the goal

"Almost there!" Naruto shouted

"Eighteen, no wait nineteen" the Assistant counted off

Naruto and his team mates seemed leap as one and saw as other ninja were also make a last ditch effort to land safely on the platform

(_Are we gonna make it?_) He saw as Udon and Sugi safely landed and looked beside him as Yoshi and another genin were neck and neck, the other ninja began waving hand signs his face pointed in Yoshi's direction

"Yoshi!" Naruto shouted

The leaf ninja looked with wide eyes as his opponent began releasing a jutsu directly at him but was suddenly stopped in mid jump and flattened against an invisible surface

"Twenty- uh twenty five" Guy's assistant counted

"Twenty five?"

"Yes sir, two genin must have landed at the same time, what will we do?"

"Let's make our way over, see if anyone can be disqualified"

"We did it!" Udon jumped up and down "We actually made it"

They watched as Guy and his assistant approached the center, he addressed the genin that did not pass first "Well played all of you, but unfortunately it was not enough, I look forward to seeing you all at the next exam"

He then turned to ninja standing in the middle

"It appears one of you must also have to wait until next exam for a chance to make the rank of Chunin"

"What?" All those in the circle looked at one another

"Yes one of you must be disqualified, though I'm not sure who-"

His assistant tapped on the shoulder and pointed in Naruto's direction who was still holding Chiyo, the assistant whispered something to Guy and he nodded supposedly agreeing with the chunin's words

"Young ma'am I regret to inform you that you have been disqualified"

"What?" The members of team Ebisu shouted together

"Though you did make it to the finish you never actually stepped on the platform, you were carried by your team mate and therefore did not meet my requirements to complete the exam, you were not one of the first 24 to stand on the center, I am sorry"

"B-b-b-but" Chiyo pushed her way out of Naruto's arms and fell to the ground sobbing

"Hey that's not fair" Udon yelled after Guy

"You misunderstand me then, you see it's perfectly fair"

"But she worked just as hard as us to get this far, she made it to the finish"

"By my rules she did not"

"Then I relinquish my spot" Udon said sternly

Chiyo and Naruto were stunned, Chiyo wiped her eyes "Udon don't"

Guy turned around and face the young Genin

"I give up, let her pass"

Guy put his hand on Udon's shoulder and looked him in the eye

"I am sorry but I do not accept your resignation"

"Why not? I can choose to quit if I want to can't I?" Udon now began to tear up out of frustration

"And how would that be fair the others who 'almost' passed?" Guy "Should I allow her to take your place simply because she's your team mate? Suppose you didn't make it and someone else could have entered my barrier before she planted her feet, should I allow her to take that person's place?"

Udon looked at his feet "N-no"

"Then I will say it again, she is disqualified, you will now make your way to the third chamber and listen to the instructions for the final segment of the exam"

Udon fought desperately to hide his tears but slowly he felt them fall past his cheeks, he felt an arm resting on his chest and saw that Chiyo was standing behind him resting her head against his back and had her unhindered arm wrapped around him

"Thank you Udon, but you don't need to fight for me"

"Chiyo? Are you sure?"

She didn't reply, she just limped past him and followed Guy away from the others

As the rest of the genin walked into the third and final chamber Naruto stayed behind, waiting while his team mate battled his own emotions. He eventually took his young friend aside and led him behind the other ninja, they stood beside the 22 others waiting for the final Jonin to appear and give them instructions


	11. Time for a Break

_So did anyone else hate that last chapter as much as me? Anyone? Maybe it just sucked to write it, but I dunno I feel like it was dull, kind of forced my way through it, usually the chapters seem to flow really well but not that last one, anyways I want to once again thank all of you who are reading this story, hopefully this chapter has a better feel to it_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 11: Time for a Break

As Naruto and Udon waited with the other ninja for their final instructions, Naruto had been so concerned about Udon's disappointment that Chiyo had been disqualified in the last round that he hardly noticed Yoshi and Sugi had been behind them

Naruto looked carefully at the fellow leaf ninja, Yoshi had a very young face even for his age, his brown hair stuck flatly to his head like it was wet, he seemed average height for a pre-teen which made Sugi's unusual height that much more apparent when the two stood next to each other, despite their both being so young they had a certain aura around them that told him neither was to be underestimated

Sugi caught Naruto's stare and walked over to their new allies, with Yoshi following behind

She stood beside Naruto towering over Udon, "I'm very sorry you're friend couldn't make it with us" She said sincerely

"Well if hadn't been for you guys none of us would have made it" Naruto pointed out "I hate to ask, but why did you guys help us anyways?"

"Hinata-sensei asked us to look after you" Yoshi happily informed them

"You're Hinata's students! That's right she mentioned you once before Yoshi, I can't believe I forgot"

"Yes, and we have one other team mate, but he said he didn't feel like babysitting another leaf party so he went on ahead without us"

"And I made it just fine" A cocky voice split the formerly pleasant conversation and left an annoying ring in Naruto's ears, when Naruto looked to see where the voice had come from he found a short blonde shirtless boy with his hair styled into a Mohawk and wore leather shoulder pads

"Naruto-senpai this is the third member of Team Ten Correia" Sugi introduced her comrade with a hint of distaste in her voice

"Correia, Hinata-sensei asked us to stick together, she won't like it that you ignored her advice and tried to complete the challenge on your own, that is not how she taught us" Yoshi lectured

"When has Hyuuga's advice ever done us any good?" The genin remarked "Just because you're her precious favorite doesn't mean you have to mindlessly obey her every wish Yoshi"

Naruto really did not like the cocky little punk one bit, and it appeared neither of the boys team mates did either

"Don't disrespect Hinata-sensei like that" Yoshi said threateningly

"Or what? Are you gonna do something about it?" Correia laughed

Sugi walked up beside Yoshi and gave her team mate a very daunting stare "Do not disrespect Hinata-sensei in front of me again"

This time Correia's response wasn't as cocky "Whatever, like I care what you guys think anyways" He walked away to the far end of the room and sat against the wall avoiding eye contact with Yoshi or Sugi

"That guys a jerk" Udon finally spoke

"Udon you shouldn't say things like that about your younger counterparts, sometimes people just act out until they grow up" Naruto tried to instruct but Yoshi said otherwise

"No Udon is right, he is a jerk, he always has been" the boy seemed to drift into another world for a second "I really hate him"

"Yoshi and Correia have been rivals since the academy" Sugi whispered "But despite how hard Yoshi has worked Correia has always been far better, Yoshi challenges Correia all the time but has never been able to win"

"Wow that sounds just like Sasuke and I" Naruto said "But that Correia guy sure seemed to back off when you got in his face"

"Did he? I didn't even notice"

Finally the doors burst open revealing a very muscular man

"So these are the last of the challengers huh?" The man chuckled "I am Iwamura, you're final examiner, and for the last test we're going to set up a 2 vs. 2 battle challenge"

"What's the challenge?" A girl from the Hidden Lightning Village asked

Iwamura held up a piece of paper with the character for jutsu on it "You will be partnered up with one other ninja from this group, one of you will be banned from using jutsu, and the other will be banned from using any physical attacks, we'll make sure of this by placing one of these paper seals on your body during the match, the challenge will be to find a way to successfully defeat your opponents together"

(_This is not going to be easy_)

"Now I obviously will not allow you to choose your partner, so when I call your name you will come up here and select one of these tiles" The Stone Ninja pointed to a stack of twelve tiles "It will choose a name of one of the other 23 ninja in the room, that person will be your partner, now first up is Kitsune"

A female genin from the Hidden Grass walked forward and selected her tile and just as Iwamura had said a name appeared on it "So your partner is Kai"

"That's me" A very old genin with a long flowing beard from the Village Hidden in the Mountains walked forward

(_Geez how many times has that guy taken this exam?_)

Iwamura called off a few more names, none that Naruto recognized

"Next we have Yoshi" Naruto watched as their new friend approached the table

"And your partner is Naruto"

"Lucky me" Yoshi gave his senior genin a thumbs up which Naruto returned

"Now Udon" the runny nosed leaf ninja walked up to the front and selected his tile "Your partner will be Sugi, heh imagine that four leaf ninja wound up together, next is Correia"

Once all the teams had been decided Iwamura put his tiles away "That's all for today boys and girls, I'll see you in five days at the coliseum's center battleground"

Naruto appeared to be the only one surprised by this "Five days? Last time I had a month to prepare" He whined

The old man Kai walked up beside Naruto and gave him a big toothless grin "You and I are probably the only ones who remember what the Chunin exams were like before the Shinbi Alliance, now that all the nations take the Chunin exams together it's too much effort to make a pilgrimage all the way to one location for a couple tests then return just to observe one match thirty days later" He coughed a bit before continuing

"Plus now the nations who hold the exam want to make the event as profitable as possible, so they hold the festival to keep visitors in town and hold the final examination as the topping on the cake to keep the crowds excited"

"There's a festival!" Naruto exclaimed "This is way better than the last time I took the test"

"Oh so you didn't know? Where have you been then? Hiding under a rock?" The old man laughed at his own words before wandering off

Naruto grabbed Udon by the shoulders and shook him "Did you hear that Udon? There's gonna be a festival"

"I-I-I Know B-boss, t-they have it-t-t every year, please s-stop s-shaking m-me"

Naruto let go and sprinted out the building "I'm ready Kirigakure bring on the festival!"

Inside Yoshi and Sugi helped Udon to his feet "Our new friend seems very enthusiastic don't you think Sugi?"

"Yes he does, I quite like it"

They too left the building with Udon following behind

Naruto ran all the way back to the resort where he bumped into Sakura standing in the lobby with a towel wrapped around her

"Hey Sakura-chan did you know there was going to be a festival? Isn't that great?" He pumped his fists eagerly

"Yeah I did know, you mean you didn't? There's a special event every night to promote the finals, you did make it didn't you?" She gave him a look that told him he better say he did

"Of course I did Sakura-chan, what else did you expect? So what are these events anyways?"

"Well tonight is the fireworks display, tomorrow night is the Carnival, the day after is the Formal Dance, then-"

She was cut off by Naruto "A dance? Like a ballroom thing?"

"Y-yeah why?" (_Is Naruto thinking of asking Hinata to the dance? Is he even interested in things like that?_)

"I just-" He looked around to make sure they were the only two who could hear "I really like dances, Ero-sannin took me to a few when we were training, he taught me how to behave properly, how to dance, I loved going with him because it was one of the few times where he would be completely honorable, he wouldn't drink, he wouldn't act perverted around the women and though those are things that just made him who he was, it was nice to see a different side every now and then"

(_So this dance is a real big deal to Naruto then, it would probably bring up a lot of memories of Jiraiya_)

"So Sakura would you like to be my date to the dance?" Naruto's words were very serious and made Sakura's breath catch in her throat

"You want to go with me?" (_So he's not dating Hinata, at least not seriously, maybe I still have a chance with him after all, and this is it! Wait! Oh no_) "Naruto I do, I really do but-"

"But what?"

Sakura was very angry with herself for having to turn down his invitation "I've got my duty as Lady Tsunade's bodyguard still, she'll be one of the Honorable Guests of course and may be an easy target to anyone who wants to disturb the exams, however unlikely I have to perform my duty first"

Naruto looked upset which made Sakura even angrier at herself "I understand Sakura-chan, I do"

"Naruto please know that under any other circumstance I would not hesitate to say yes, because I-"

"You what?"

(_Can I really say it? Can I admit that I like Naruto?_)

"I really value our friendship" (_BAKA!_)

"Thank you Sakura-chan"

"Maybe you should extend the invitation to Hinata, I know she would really appreciate it"

"I think I'll do that, but if for any reason you can get away for just one dance I will be waiting for you"

Sakura's heart fluttered for a second "I'll think about it" She playfully stuck her tongue out at her friend who waved goodbye and went to search for Hinata (_Even if she does go with him, he asked me first_) She gave a small leap into the air then remembered she was only in a towel, "I'll just make my way to the hot springs" She said out loud to no one in particular drawing many odd looks her way

Naruto made a short stop at his room grabbing the gift he had bought her the other day in the market before he hustled down to Hinata's room

(_I should surprise her, with this instead of just hand it out, I've got it!_) He quickly made a shadow clone and instructed him to go in the back way while he distracted her, the clone quietly did as he was instructed and waited while Naruto distracted Hinata, as the clone hopped over the fence he heard the knock and got ready to make his way inside, until he saw something he shouldn't have, as soon as crossed the fence he found Hinata leaving her shower completely uncovered, it caught the clone off guard and he almost fell from his hiding spot, the knock came on the door

"Who is it?" She asked

"It's me!"

"Me? Naruto-kun?"

"That's right"

"Be there in a second!" She quickly grabbed a robe and threw it on before answering the door

The clone landed on the ground quickly placed Naruto's surprise in her room before disappearing as Hinata opened the door

"Hello Naruto-kun" She answered "Naruto what's wrong with your face?"

Naruto eyes were wide open and he was drooling slightly as he learned what his clone had seen realizing Hinata had opened the door he jumped out of his skin bright red

"Naruto-kun are you ok?"

"Yeah j-just fine Hinata" He shook his head and regained his composure

"So Hinata I was wondering if you had heard there was going to be a dance in a few days, apparently it's pretty ritzy, and I was wondering if you would like to accompany me?

"Oh Naruto-kun I-I would love to….but"

"More buts" He groaned "But what?"

"I would have nothing to wear"

"Oh is that all? Well I'm sure you'll find something, why don't you go and look around?" He pointed to the bed behind her where his clone had left her surprise

"Naruto-kun what is that?"

"Go ahead, open it!" He said excitedly

She slowly walked over to the box that sat on her bed and removed the top, as she did she gave a soft gasp

"Naruto-kun you shouldn't have" She removed the dress that she had been admiring in the store the other day "Why did you get this for me?"

"It fit you so well like it was made for you, and I could tell you liked it, I couldn't let anyone else have it"

"But it was so expensive, are you sure you want me to have this?"

"Of course, it would be perfect for the dance don't you think? I mean that is if you want to go"

Hinata beamed "I-I don't know how I could say no"

"Great! I hate to run but I should really get some sleep before the fireworks tonight, it's been a rough couple days" He waved goodbye and shut the door behind him

As he did he lost his composure again quickly turning bright red in the face, "I saw Hinata naked… now I'm no better than Ero-Sannin"

He made his way to his room to get some sleep glad to see that Ebisu was not lurking around

Just as his head hit the pillow a loud knock came on his door "Hey Naruto, open up"

(_I'm just going to ignore whoever it is until they go away_)

"Naruto I know you're in there, I'm not going away! now I'll say it again, open up"

Naruto slowly pulled himself up off the bed and wandered to the door, "Ah Kiba, it's you"

"Hey Naruto I heard you made it to the finals, congratulations"

"Is that what you came here to tell me?"

"No I came to take you around town, Shikamaru and Choji just arrived they're here to take part in the festival, come on its Men hour, Shikamaru doesn't get out much anymore without Temari around. We need to take advantage while she's letting him off his leash" 

Akamaru who stood as usual by Kiba's side gave a happy bark and began wagging his tail furiously

"Can this wait Kiba, I really wanted to get some rest before tomorrow"

"Nope" Kiba grabbed Naruto by the collar and hustled him out the door

As promised Choji and Shikamaru were waiting for them outside of the resort

"Hey Hey Naruto!" Choji waved excitedly "Glad we could get you to come out"

"So what's going on guys?"

"We're going out for drinks" Kiba said slapping Naruto hard on the back "time for some good old male bonding"

"I'm not much of a drinker guys" Naruto said as they pushed him down the street "Seriously I've never even tried drinking before"

Shikamaru gave a very short chuckle "Then this is going to be more fun that usual"

They finally found a bar that seemed appropriate and upon entering Choji ordered four tiny glasses of a light brown liquid

"What is this?" Naruto gave the drink a quick sniff "It doesn't smell very good"

"It's whiskey" Choji said happily "It's a drink they really enjoy in the Kirigakure"

"Bottoms up gentlemen" Shikamaru said as they dropped their glasses to the table gave a small cheers and tossed the drink down their throats

"Ugh it tastes awful" Naruto spat but soon a warm sensation formed in his belly "Well the taste might be awful but it sure feels good going down"

The other three laughed "Then here have another one" Choji offered

After a few more shots Naruto's eyesight began to get very blurry and slightly out of focus, the warm sensation in his stomach had become permanent and he couldn't stop running his teeth with his tongue

"You guys I *hic* I feel purtty good" He snickered

Kiba gave a loud howling laugh "Yeah me too"

**Warning if the following content does not entirely make sense to you, or seems like rambling nonsense, it's because it is, these dudes are drunk**

The guys sat around the bar talking and laughing, occasionally ingesting more whiskey, as the night progressed their conversations became less serious talk and more trash talk

"Don't be stupid Kiba you couldn't beat me in a foot race if you tried" Shikamaru said poking his friend hard in the chest

Kiba pushed his finger away "Just wait, just listen to what I have to say ok? Just hang on and if you do, I will tell you that I could beat you if I wanted to"

While they argued Naruto and Choji sat at the bar slowly sipping down more alcohol, as the did Choji began sniffling into his drink

"Naruto can I ask you something?"

"Sure Choji you can ask me anything"

Choji gave another sniff "Do you think anyone will ever love me?"

"What? Choji don't be stupid, of course someone will love you, you're a good guy you know? You're a really nice guy, and I think that someday some girl is gonna see that you know? And she's gonna say wow that guy is a really nice guy"

"You know Naruto for you to say something like that to me, it just makes me so happy that I could cry" Choji slowly began to blubber and tossed back the last bit of his drink

"Hey Naruto why are you making Choji cry?" Shikamaru stumbled over giving Naruto a very glazed look

"I didn't make him cry, he isn't sad, he just wants to cry"

"I didn't say he was sad, did you make him sad?"

"No Shikarmaru now just sit down and shut up"

Kiba was now beginning to wobble a little catching himself by using Akamaru as a stand causing the giant dog to give a loud yelp

"Guys I think it is about time that we, as a group and as friends, leave. We should go cuz I don't think I should drink anymore"

"Yeah you're probably right" Choji said wiping his nose on his sleeve he dropped a large number of coins on the bar and pointed at the bartender "This is for you, for not kicking us out, that was really cool of you" He lifted himself up off the barstool and grabbed Shikamaru in his left hand throwing him over his shoulder

"Hey Choji put me down"

Kiba and Naruto followed behind laughing all the way back to resort

"Well now what should we do?" Naruto's asked with his head titled to the side

"We'll go back to my room" Shikamaru replied still laying across Choji's shoulder "I've got a little bit of Sake left that I brought with me, it will help us top off the evening before we all turn in"

"That sounds like a great idea" The other three hollered and made their way very noisily through the resort, as they approached Shikamaru's room he began fumbling around for his room key "Luckily Temari is with her brides maids so they probably won't be back until really late"

"Hey Shikamaru who are Temari's bridesmaids?"

"Psh the only four girls she knows" He held up his hand with one finger up "First there's Temari, then there's Tenten, and Hinata and Sakura and the loud one"

"Sakura-chan's the loud one"

All the boys laughed

"The louder one…..Ino! Whoops should have remembered that, here Choji open the door"

Shikamaru handed his large friend the key and the group still joking around walked into the room to see five pairs of very angry eyes upon them, causing them to straighten up immediately only Shikamaru was unaware of what was going on

"Hey guys what's wrong?" He caught a glimpse of Kiba's apologetic face "Oh boy something bad is gonna happen"

"You're damn right" Temari shouted as she came around Choji's side "We could hear you boys all the way down the hall, don't you realize what time it is? People around here are trying to sleep" She tugged her fiancé off his friends shoulders and stood him up straight "And all you guys are stinking drunk"

This caused all the guys to laugh

"Naruto is that funny?" Sakura angrily stepped up to her former team mate "Tsunade asked you to model your behavior and this is how you act?"

"Sakura-chan, girls I'll be in Ino's room"

"I have never been so angry with you ugh!" She stomped out of the room

Hinata also began to walk out and when Naruto tried to stop her she just gave him a cold glare catching him off guard, he had never seen her look so angry at him before

"I have nothing to say to you tonight Naruto-kun"

Naruto hung his head in shame

Tenten brushed very quickly past all of them "I'll send the other boys in, maybe they'll be able to put up with your childish act"

Ino just punched Shikamaru and Choji in the stomach "The louder one? And you didn't even remember my name?"

Temari turned to Shikamaru "You know we were actually really excited to spend some time with you boys tonight, and we wouldn't care if you had just had a little bit to drink but look at you four you can all barely stand on your own feet, if you need me I'll be at Ino's, but don't show up unless its an emergency I don't wanna deal with you guys right now"

And with that the four were left alone in Shikamaru's room

"Well" Kiba started "Other than that this was a pretty good night"

The others agreed and proceeded to the pass out across the floor

?* * * * ** ** * * ** ?

_**This author does not condone or promote underage or excessive drinking**_


	12. The Festival Begins

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 12: The Festival begins

Naruto found himself face down on the hard wooden floor of Shikamaru's room at their hot springs resort, carefully lifting his head he spotted Shikamaru laying on a couch nearby, Kiba resting against Akamaru and heard snoring from the bathroom which he could only assume was Choji.

It was the two shadows coming from Shikamaru's room that he did not recognize

"My head is killing me" He groaned causing a stir in the other room

"Ah! Naruto-san you're awake, it's about time"

"Bushy Brows? What are you doing here?"

"Tenten sent Neji and I up here last night after the fireworks, it's too bad you all were sleeping they were amazing, had any couples been with us it would have been quite the romantic scene, am I right Neji?"

The byakugan user shrugged "It would have been if my girlfriend was more focused on me rather than her friends, you guys really screwed up last night, the girls were so upset after they left you here it really put a damper on the whole evening"

Naruto finally lifted his body from the floor "Man I feel like a jerk, I guess I shouldn't have drank so much, honestly I don't think I'll ever drink again"

Lee handed his friend a glass of water "I never touch any alcohol" grinning widely he watched as the others began to stir

"Well good for you Lee, so I guess we have a bit of apologizing to do huh?" Kiba grunted "At least we've got a couple days to accomplish that, no time for scoring brownie points like festival time"

"I should go find Hinata and Sakura-chan" Naruto mumbled

"We should find all the girls" Shikamaru agreed "We should apologize for showing up as sloppy as we were"

"That won't be hard" Lee cheerfully "They're just the floor below us in Ino's room, they said we should send you there once you've um….Neji what was it Temari said we had to repeat?"

"I'm not going to say it; some of those words she used make me cringe and don't you guys think I deserve an apology too? I was supposed to spend a nice night out with my girlfriend and instead I had to take care of you"

"Not our fault" Kiba said as he walked out the door

"Yeah" Choji agreed finally emerging from the bathroom "We're not the ones who are whipped"

"You guys are real jerks you know that?"

Downstairs the girls were having a discussion of their own

"Do you think we were too hard on the guys last night?" Hinata asked as she folded the blankets they had used to sleep on up "They would have learned their lesson after this morning anyways right?"

"Hinata you can't go easy on men, they're idiots" Temari said simply "If you want a man to respect you enough you will punish them when they need it"

"Plus they totally ruined our plans" Ino huffed "I say we should still act mad"

Sakura wanted to agree but knew that once she saw Naruto sobered up finally she wouldn't have the heart, and she knew Hinata wouldn't either

"So Hinata are you gonna display that pretty little dress that Naruto bought you?" Tenten nudged her friend playfully trying to make her blush

"Oh what's this? Hinata's got a sugar daddy?" Temari joined in "I didn't know you had it in you Hyuuga"

Ino who normally would have joined in along with them instead sauntered over to Sakura who was looking downtrodden after finding out Naruto had gone out of his way to give Hinata a gift "Just remember who he invited on that ballroom date first" She gave her friend a little wink

"Ino-" Sakura returned the gesture bringing a little light back to her face "I haven't forgotten"

A slow knock came at the door

"Speaking of your prince charming Hinata, that must be the boys come to grovel" Temari had a little too much pleasure in her voice "Everyone at least try to look at least a little upset"

She opened the door expecting to see the six men who had been upstairs, instead she saw two Masked ninja standing in the door "Um can I help you?"

"We were hoping to spend the day with our friends" One of the masked ninja began "But since we can't find them I thought it would be almost as satisfying to spend the day with you all"

"It's just Sai" Sakura said disappointed "You can shut the door on him"

Temari did just that

"That was unusual, typically the girls don't mind our presence" Sai turned to his masked counterpart

"But they did mind, why? Because you were rude to them. Come on we'll enjoy the carnival ourselves"

"Is this a date Shino? Because I was not under the impression that you were gay"

"If that's a joke I just have a little advice for you, shut up"

The other boys finally made their way to Ino's room, with Neji and Lee leading the way

"I think I hear them coming" Ino whispered to her friends

Neji slowly opened the door covering his head in case something decided to fly in his direction when it appeared safe he entered the room with four hung over companions, one dog and Lee bringing up the rear

The four in trouble slowly lifted their heads in shame looking for a sympathetic eye among the group of girls, they found none, all five women stood with arms crossed glaring down on their friends

"Well" Ino began "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Sorry" The four simultaneously apologized

"Sorry for what?"

"Um….." This they didn't seem to have an answer for

"Oh whatever" Tenten said angrily "You're not sorry for what you did, you are all just sorry you got in trouble"

"That's it" Naruto said hopefully "That's what we're sorry for"

This caused the five girls to intensify their stares

"We promise we'll be more responsible in the future" Shikamaru said solemnly "Or at least not show up home at all"

"That's as good as we're gonna get isn't it?" Temari sighed "Fine you boys are free to go if you wish, except you Shika-kun"

"And you Neji"

"What? Tenten I wasn't even with these dopes last night"

"No but you're still taking me out to the festival, you did promise after all"

"I shall join you two" Lee said excitedly

"Lee I beg you please don't" Neji started to plead but Tenten insisted

"Don't listen to him Lee you are more than welcome to spend the day with us"

Neji began grinding his teeth

"You know what Choji that sounds like a good idea" Ino said slipping past the group and tugging away the largest "You will accompany me around town today *sniff* Ugh once you bathe first, make your way to the hot springs and meet me back here"

"But wait…what's going on?" Choji looked back at his friends who avoided eye contact hoping not to get involved

"Guys come on help me out here" Choji begged before surrendering

"Well he may not be my boyfriend but he sure is obedient" Ino dusted off her hands

(_Oh God I'm next I just know it_) Naruto clinched his eyes shut (_Who am I gonna get it from though? Sakura or Hinata?_)

"Well I should be leaving" Hinata began as she headed toward the door "I promised I would treat my students today, but I think only Yoshi and Sugi will show up" She blew right past Naruto without a word which he found more painful than the scolding she gave him the night before

"Hey Hinata" Kiba stumbled after her "I promised my students the same thing, maybe we could group up" He and Akamaru chased after her falling into step once they met up

"Shika-kun we have lots of planning to do, so go take a bath and come back here as soon as your done"

"Got off easy" Shikamaru smirked giving Naruto a small thumbs up

This left Sakura as the only woman who had yet to deal out a punishment, realizing this Naruto slowly started to back his way out of the room, when he had thought he was in the clear he turned face and tried to walk out the hall but did not manage to get far

"And where do you think you're going Naruto?"

"Uh back to bed?"

"I don't think so, you're going to follow Shikamaru and Choji, I can't have you smelling like alcohol if you're going to escort me around the carnival today"

(_Damn, if I had only left sooner_) Naruto reached into his pocket for his wallet which at the moment was full (_This is going to cost me_)

He and Shikamaru made their way to the out door tubs where Choji was already comfortably sitting, "So you boys in the same dog house as me?"

"I am, Sakura-chan is making me walk her around, Shikamaru here gets to stay in"

"I think we got off kind of easy" Choji said smiling "At least we didn't get scolded again"

"Don't be dense Choji you and I won't have a dollar to our name after this day is over" Naruto lowered himself into the bath

"Don't whine" Choji poked "We're going to be walking through town with two of the most beautiful girls from Konoha on our arms"

"More likely you two will be dragged by the ear from two of the toughest girls in Konoha" Their friend pointed out

?* * * * * * * ** *** ? 

In town Taka had made an appearance, doing their best to blend in with the crowds

"Aha Sasuke this was a great idea coming to the Chunin Festival" Suigetsu said delighted taking a large bite out of a candied apple "This is the first break we've had in months"

"Enjoy it while you can Suigetsu we won't be taking another like it for quite some time" Taka's leader said trying to hide the amusement in his voice

"Hey Jugo look over there" Suigetsu pointed to a table where a bunch of children with rubber mallets were striking at plastic automated rodents "That looks like a lot of fun, let's play a round"

"We should leave the game to the children" The tall redhead said calmly "Our presence might intimidate them, and that could lead to someone recognizing us"

"Plus only you're childish mind could be satiated by playing that stupid game" Karin said "Sasuke why are we even here? I appreciate the time off but this is just stupid"

"Because Karin it's the Chunin exams, and with Naruto back with the hidden leaf I wouldn't be surprised if he convinced his superiors to let him participate. If he has made the finals I want to watch" Sasuke caught a shadow out of the corner of his eye, he had thought his team had been followed earlier but ignored it as suspicion, now he was sure of it

"Jugo take the others somewhere, entertain yourselves on me" Sasuke tossed a bag of coins to his team mate who gave a small nod "Come Hotaru I bet you'll enjoy the large mechanical wheel"

"The Ferris wheel?" She gave him a puzzled look "Maybe it's worth a shot"

"Suigetsu, Karin come on" Jugo insisted

"What why? I don't have to leave if I don't want to" Karin shouted

"Stop being a pain Karin and move, Sasuke's gonna do one of his super-secret meetings and he doesn't want us here" Suigetsu pushed her away

Sasuke made his way to a table at a nearby food shack waiting for his stalker to appear, as he expected the shadowy figure made its way to his table, what he didn't expect was to see another shorter shadow following behind, it was impossible to make out their faces, they both wore gray cloaks that were wrapped up all the way to their mouths and they both wore coolie hats to shield their eyes

"So we meet again Sasuke" The first shadow slowly seated himself across the table. The voice that came from the cloak was not one Sasuke expected

"You of all people are dressed like that? It's not like you are the one listed in the bingo book"

"Yes well I have been asked to conceal my presence, upon seeing you I had to break my promise a tad, but I wanted to make sure you weren't causing any trouble"

"I have no interest in stirring up any trouble, I am here just to watch Naruto's final match, I assume you are here for the same"

"I am not, I am here to challenge him, I want to see how strong he has become since we last met" 

"You don't plan on interrupting the finals do you, that would be so-"

"Cliché? Yes I've been told that, no I will not disturb his match"

Sasuke chuckled "You won't beat him"

"Well you haven't met my new accomplice"

"This would be interesting to watch, I suppose you won't let him know your identity"

"Not unless it's necessary, I should take my leave now" The cloaked man began to get up

"Why only challenge Naruto? Why not me as well?"

"I'm sorry to admit I'm still not sure if you have a desire to kill me or not"

Sasuke gave the man an understanding nod and the two shadows disappeared

Sasuke was about to make his way from the shack when he found two more familiar faces

(_Ah Naruto, it looks like you've finally achieved the attention from Sakura you always desired, it's not as glamorous as it looked is it?_) Sasuke's eyes passed from his best friend and former team mate to the pink haired girl beside him, though Naruto looked straight ahead he noticed Sakura's eyes never left the man she was with (_That look, I am all too familiar with that look, but there's something…more to it_)

"Sakura-chan look! A Whack-a-mole stand! Want to give it a shot?"

"Naruto that is way too childish for us" But he never heard her, he was already halfway to the game.

(_Oh Naruto, you'll never really grow up will you_)

"He's an ever flowing fountain of energy isn't he?" Sasuke said sneaking up behind her

"Sasuke!" Sakura quickly spun around finding herself face to face with her old love interest "Sasuke what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to watch Naruto in the finals" The black haired ninja smiled "Wait, he did make it right?"

"Of course, did you expect anything less?"

"No, of course not"

"So why aren't you talking to him?"

Sasuke sighed "I fear if he sees me he will regret leaving Taka and well me and insist on rejoining us, as much as I enjoyed having him by my side once more I know his true place is in Konoha, with the ones he loves" He gave a knowing look to Sakura "And the ones that love him"

Sasuke's words made Sakura look away "Then we agree on something, he doesn't belong with you, he belong with-with"

"All this time and you still can't say it can you? I hope for Naruto's sake you get over your fear of falling in love with him, it will only hurt him"

"I wouldn't hurt him, I couldn't"

"You could, you've done it before, and just so you know Sakura I may not be a cold-blooded killer anymore, but mark my words, you break his heart, I break something of yours"

Sasuke's words were far too serious for her not to take heed "I'm not even sure he feels the same way anymore"

"Well if I had to be honest, for his sake I hope you're right"

Sasuke's words stung her deep she looked to where Sasuke had been but he had vanished

"You're right Sasuke I can't hold back anymore, if I do I'll lose him again, I can let that happen now that he's finally come back, I won't let Hinata take him from me"

"Sakura-chan who are you talking too?"

Sakura spun to see Naruto had returned carrying a hand sized stuffed pink bear "No one, just muttering to myself"

"Sakura-chan you should avoid talking to yourself in public people will think you're weird" He extended the bear to her as a gift offering

"This is for me?"

"You don't like it?" His face revealed his disappointment

She gave him a small kiss on the cheek and took the bear from his hands "It's adorable, Thank you Naruto-kun"

"Sakura-chan, w-what did you say?" Naruto was blushing a little

"Oh nothing" she waved her hand in the air casually

From a nearby rooftop Sasuke watched the two walk away (_Thank you Sakura_)

"Hey Sasuke what are you doing up there? You're being a weirdo!" Suigetsu called from below

"Ah Suigetsu I was being pensive! You ruined my moment"

"That reply was very un-Sasuke like, this carnival does weird things to people" Hotaru pointed out


	13. The Man in the Iron Mask

_Sad news folks, updates are about to come to a slower pace, it's that time of year again. It is Football season! So with full college and Professional games taking up Saturday-Monday I will have limited time to write. I know what you're thinking, pre-season didn't stop you! That's cuz I can watch the first quarter of preseason and be satisfied, plus no fantasy in preseason, and the 'Noles hadn't begun play yet, then next week is Steelers kickoff plus the double header on Monday Night, little time for writing. Hope I'm keeping you all entertained, or at least not bored, enjoy! Thanks for reading! And maybe let me know what you think, who knows maybe if you guys give me some reviews I might try to update a little sooner_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 13: The Man in the Iron Mask

Shino felt like he was on top of the world. He had the wind blowing through his hair, the entire world below his feet and it was quiet…..sort of

His sense of peace was once again disturbed by the soft shuffling of paper as Sai continued to flip through his book.

"Sai get your face out from behind those pages and admire the scenery

Sai and Shino sat atop the Ferris wheel together looking down on the rest of the Carnival

"You assure me that this isn't a date Shino?"

"For the last time yes"

"It's just everything I've read in my books so far indicates that we are on a date"

"If you were to read friendship books they would say similar things"

After a few moments of silence the ride shuddered and the sound metal groans recommenced as the cranking gears pushed the two friends back towards Earth

"Hey we're moving again!" Sai held is hand up with his palm facing Shino

"What is that?"

"It's a high five, it's customary to give one when celebrating a simple event" He continued to hold his hand out

"No"

The two got off the ride and Sai continued to push the high five which Shino became more agitated with every time his friend asked

"Look Sakura and Naruto" Sai quickly rushed over to his other friends hand still extended "Naruto! Sakura! Hello!"

"Oh hello Sai" Naruto said slowly, seeing Sai with his arm out he gave him a small wave. But when Sai kept his hand at attention he felt he had to ask "Uh what's with the hand?"

Sai pressed it firmly against Naruto's "High Five" He said triumphantly

"Right…" Shino finally made his way over to the threesome "Hey Shino, what's up with Sai?"

"He's been reading again" The goggled ninja replied "Are you two enjoying yourselves?"

"Oh sure" Naruto said as he through his arm over Sakura's shoulders expecting it to be pushed away

Instead she just rolled her eyes and acknowledged the two ANBU operatives "Has Lady Tsunade given you guys the day off?"

"Yes just the day though tomorrow we return to our duties, assisting Yamato on look out"

"Where is Yamato?"

Shino pointed to a distant grouping of trees "He's over there"

"I don't see him"

"Well that's the point, isn't it?"

Meanwhile Sai continued to flip through the pages of his textbook "A double date" He finally said catching everyone off guard

Naruto gave his pale friend a nervous glance "Uh….Sai what are you saying now?"

"I propose we go on a double date, it says here that meeting up with two friends who are currently embarking on a romantic venture it is good manners to offer to share the experience; this makes for better conversation and can offer more variety of activities for both parties"

Sakura and Naruto just looked between Sai and Shino unsure of what to say, which seemed to irritate their bug-loving companion

"We're not on a date"

Naruto face contorted as he tried to refrain from laughing while Sakura coughed as a way to mask her own amusement "Well we were just talking about grabbing some lunch Sai, if you and you're *cough* date would like to join us, we'd be *cough* delighted to have you"

"Fine, we'll eat lunch with you" Shino said still very annoyed, he turned his gaze to Sai "But you're paying for my meal"

"As your Gentleman I would be happy to"

This caused Sakura and Naruto to lose control, a vein began visibly popping out of Shino's forehead as he watched Sakura clutch her sides and Naruto fall to his knees

After they had finally managed to calm down the four found a food stand selling fish and rice bowls, and to Naruto's delight ramen

As the group ordered Sai noticed that the cooks behind the counter were whispering to each other and pointing in their direction, apparently Shino had noticed too as the two made eye contact and gave a knowing nod, trying to remain calm as possible they waited while the man at the front served their meals, as he did three men from the back room approached the front hands behind their backs advancing to the hidden leaf's location

Shino and Sai both tensed ready to defend themselves at any moment

"'Scuse me" One of the men said before falling to the floor as Sai and Shino leapt onto the counter

The man's face went from a stern glare to a frightened gawk as he crawled away from the two ninja

"What are you two doing?" Sakura yanked both ANBU from the counter back into their seats

"These men are concealing weapons" Shino defended

"These men are concealing pens" Sakura pointed out before knocking the overenthusiastic ninja in the back of their heads

"We didn't mean to upset your bodyguards Mr. Uzumaki" The man on the floor stammered "We was just wanting an autograph" He held out a ink pen and a brown leaflet with a picture of Naruto displaying a broad toothy grin and to Sakura's surprise what appeared to be a bounty for $19 million

"You see we're big fans of your stories the boys and me" The man nervously stated "Share 'em all the time 'round here"

"An autograph?" Naruto looked at the three men who pushed their papers further beneath his nose "Well how can I say no?"

As he signed the men's papers Sakura couldn't help but ask "Um excuse me but where did you get those sheets?"

"We tore 'em outta the Bingo Book" A single toothed cook said proudly "We make sure to get the new one every time it comes out, show our customers our favorite wanted man" He waved his new autograph around proudly "Course we know you only get in all that trouble to help the small folk out don't ya?" He winked at Naruto

"Well I do what I can" the blonde replied trying to stay humble

"We really appreciate it Mr. Uzumaki" The three men bowed and wandered back to their stations

Naruto drained his ramen and gave a satisfied burp but something felt off, he slowly turned to his left to see Sakura fuming at him

"Um….excuse me?"

She whacked him on the back of the head much leaving a large lump "You've got some explaining to do"

"About what?"

"You were in the Bingo Book! You were wanted for $19 million!"

"That's nothing, Sasuke was worth over 30 last time we checked" his attempt to calm his 'date' down went unsuccessful

"There are a lot of people who would come after you for $19 million you know, it's not something you should just brush off" 

"People used to come after me all the time; it was nothing I couldn't handle" 

Sakura's blanked at how casual Naruto discussed being hunted, but Shino and Sai had become very interested

"No doubt many of those who came after you were listed in the book themselves right?" Shino prodded

"Most of them, where do you think I made all of my money?" Naruto laughed

The pink haired woman turned her aggravation on her meal stabbing at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks "And there was never a moment where you thought someone who hunted you down was going to kill you?"

Naruto's laugh stopped and his eyes began to drift into the distance

"Well there was one time someone almost got me" He indicated the scar that trailed down the side of his face "But I made it out alive didn't I?" 

As the foursome finished up their meals the sound of thunder could be heard in the distance "We should probably get back to the resort, we don't want to get caught in this storm" Sai pointed out

The other three agreed and made their way back to their hotel, not quite making it before the rain came down heavy upon them

"The rain is freezing" Sakura shivered as they finally entered the lobby clutching her bare arms

Naruto placed his hands on her shoulders and rubbed up and down her arms "Does that help?"

"Yes it does" She leaned back and let Naruto take most of the weight as he attempted to warm her

"Ahem!" Shino coughed indicating they were still present "It's mid-afternoon, much too early to call it a day, shall we seek out the others?" He raised an eyebrow "Unless the two of you have….other plans?"

Naruto nearly dropped Sakura embarrassed "No, no not at all lead the way" He gave Sakura a sheepish apology for letting her slip, and for Shino's comments.

"Don't worry Naruto, you didn't do anything" She smiled politely before giving the bug maniac the stink eye (_As if it would be any of their business anyways_) 

After checking a couple of empty rooms and one room with a very angrily bickering engaged couple, they found the majority of their friends relaxing in the Suite shared by Neji and Lee.

Upon entering they discussed minor pleasantries, how their days were, what they got to see, and the usual. Neji held out a small glass of sake to Naruto who was about to take it but gave a quick glance over to Sakura before deciding to change his mind

"It's ok" She giggled "As long as you don't go overboard"

He nodded his head and accepted the glass from Neji

After a few hours the group settled down a little, Choji had retreated to the back porch with a pipe but left the door open so he could remain part of the conversation. Neji and Lee shared a large couch with Tenten stretched across both of them, head in Neji's lap and feet in Lee's

Ino was trying to get Sai to drink insisting he was being a buzz kill, but he continued to politely decline saying he did not enjoy the taste of alcohol. Shino sat cross legged on the floor in front of Naruto and Sakura who were comfortably sharing a very large chair, the two were discussing Shino's first mission as an ANBU

"…And after he let his guard down I surrounded him with my Kikaichu and was able to subdue him by having them swarm around until he passed out from lack of oxygen"

Sakura shivered "That's creepy Shino"

"I know"

She shook her head and leaned back onto Naruto which drew sly looks from most of the others in the room and a thumbs up from Choji

"You tell a story Naruto" Sakura said as she closed her eyes

A few others gave their agreeing nods

"What should I tell?"

Sai pointed at the scar across his face "You never told us about the man who gave you that horrendous scar"

Ino slapped his hand "Don't point Sai it's rude"

Ignoring her he kept his focus on his friend "You brought it up but never elaborated"

Those who hadn't been focused on Naruto before perked up, all eyeing him closely seemingly eager to hear the story

Naruto looked around and rubbed the back of his head "You guys really want to hear this?" They all gave him the collective nod *sigh* "Neji I'm gonna need another glass first"

Neji poured him another glass of Sake which Naruto quickly tossed down

His eyes glazed over a bit as he exhaled a deep breath

?* * * ? * * ? * * * ? **?

"_Taka had recently split up momentarily; we had been followed relentlessly by ANBU from the village hidden in Mist because of Suigetsu, they were tracking down any leads possible for the members of the seven swordsmen that had gone rogue or their apprentices and Sasuke thought the further apart we were the harder it would be to track us down"_

_A hawk flew high above a mountain eyeing the snow covered ground below, looking for any sign of movement. Finally a stirring by the snow bank at the peaks edge caught the raptors attention and it dove out of the sky at breakneck speed, spotting its target, as it approached it opened its great talons wide dropping a small scroll into the hands of the man it was sent to find_

_Naruto caught the scroll and gave the ninja hawk a salute before it took off_

_The message was simple letting Naruto know it was not time to regroup_

_He looked at the small town that lay below, it was inconspicuous and probably far enough away from Kirigakure that none of the Mist's ANBU would come this far to search for him._

_He inhaled slowly feeling the cool, refreshing air fill his lungs before blowing it back into his frozen hands, his face and toes stung. Rewrapping his traveling cloak he trudged his way through the snow that crunched below his feet into the nearby village._

_Upon entering he came across a small dark skinned boy wearing a parka, long pants and thick boots playing with a small dog in the snow, around his neck was a large silver pendant that reflected the newly setting sun brilliantly_

"_Hey kid"_

_The boy looked up at him and gave him a small wave which Naruto kindly returned_

"_Can you tell me if there is an inn or somewhere I can stay the night?"_

_The boy's eyes widened and he began waving his arm above his head indicating to Naruto that he should follow him with the dog trailing not far behind_

_The boy took him to the farthest corner of the village before bursting in the front door_

"_Papa we have a guest!" He shouted happily_

_Naruto cautiously stuck his head in the front door which was still open before being yanked into the building by the arms of a man who was a large as a bear_

"_So I understand you need a place to stay?" The large man said slapping Naruto hard on the back "We've got plenty of room for ya, come in come in" he waved Naruto towards the front desk and offered him a room "Now we're not the fanciest place in the world, but the beds are warm and there's plenty of drink if you need it" He showed Naruto into a large living room where one other man sat and seated him in an elaborate chair next to a fireplace._

_Naruto tried to catch a glimpse of the other man seated in the room but his face was shrouded by the shadows cast from the fire. Naruto did not mean to stare but he found that there was something…off about him, until finally the man turned his head to reveal half of it was covered by an ornate mask. Though it was definitely not wood, Naruto couldn't make out what it was, realizing he was still staring he quickly shifted his focus to the fire._

_Naruto soaked in the warmth of the embers until he noticed the boy standing by his chair carrying the small dog in his hands._

"_Is something wrong?" He asked the boy who appeared a bit nervous_

"_Will you play with me?" The boy pleaded with his eyes focused more on the snow outside than on Naruto_

"_Mogaki don't bother our guest" His father scolded but Naruto waved him off_

"_No, I don't mind at all" He rubbed his hands through the boys hair and watched him take off out the front door_

"_What's your name son?" The hotel owner asked_

"_Uzumaki Naruto" He said giving one of his infectious toothy grins not noticing that his name had caused the man in the mask to begin to stir_

"_Thank you Naruto"_

_"Don't mention it" He said as he hurried outside to meet his playmate_

_He hadn't taken more than two steps out the door when a ball of snow caught him right in the face, Naruto wiped the snow away still a little stunned before another one came right at him hitting him in the same spot. When he cleaned his face off for the second time he saw the boy with his arm raised laughing to himself with another ball of snow in his fingers._

"_Ok let's take it easy n-" Naruto began before being caught once more in the face, the boy was now rolling in the snow laughing at the blonde "That's it" Naruto said grabbing his own clump of snow "You asked for it"_

_He lightly tossed his snowball at the boy hitting him back in the face making them both laugh. They continued their game running back and forth tossing snowballs at each other until the father called them both inside_

"_Mogaki, it's time to eat boy" The little kid sprang from the snow and ran inside tossing his wet clothes on the floor "Naruto would you please join us as well?"  
><em>

"_Thank you very much sir"_

_The three silently ate dinner together, green vegetables, rice and duck. Naruto watched as Mogaki slowly would move his vegetables from his plate to the young pup eagerly waiting to be fed below. _

"_You know Mogaki it's good to see you eating your vegetables, after all if you eat well you'll be able to grow up big and strong like me" He lifted a mouthful of the greens to his mouth and quickly swallowed trying not to make a face (Gross!)_

_Immediately the boy began shoveling down the rest of his vegetables, making his father give Naruto a very appreciative glance_

_After dinner the boy was carried up to bed by his father and Naruto returned to warm himself by the fire. After a couple minutes the burly man returned carrying two cups and a large copper pot_

"_Here Naruto have some tea" He offered_

_Naruto took the cup and thanked him staring deeper into the fire_

"_You know you remind him a lot of his brother" The man said putting down the pot "It's why he was so eager to play with you, and why he took your advice about his food. His brother Kaidei was his hero, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit you were a spitting image of my late son. That pendant he wears was the last gift his brother ever gave him, it's his treasure, he hasn't taken it off since he lost his elder brother"_

_Naruto didn't know what to say_

"_People around here don't live very long" The man continued "Some say the constant cold takes a toll on our bodies and maybe they're right, all I know is most children don't live to be ten, and most of those that do don't live to be adults, sadly that was the case with my eldest son. Even sadder still most adults don't live very late in their years, as was the case of my wife; I just count my blessings that I am still around for Mogaki"_

"_Why are you telling me all this?"_

_"Oh I don't know" He took a long drink from his tea "Just rambling I guess, I guess what I really want to say is Thank you Uzumaki Naruto, you brought a smile to my sons face that I don't get to see often enough anymore"_

_The two sat in silence for a while, as Naruto slowly found himself falling asleep he heard a loud crash come from one of the upstairs rooms_

"_Mogaki!" The large man bolted up the stairs with Naruto following close behind, when they had reached the top they found the other guest holding a weeping Mogaki by the throat, the room walls had been splintered and moonlight shone down enough to illuminate the mask that the man wore. It was made of metal and resembled a smiling sun._

_He turned to face the two men and Naruto saw that only half of his face was covered, the other half was horribly disfigured with long burn scars and a mutilating scar that ran up his cheeks from his mouth leaving it agape_

"_Uzumaki Naruto" He said slowly "I am Tityu Jyou and as I'm sure you are aware there is a high price to be paid for bringing you in, what were the odds that I would find you in a place like this? I have been hunting you and your friends for quite some time"_

_"Please sir, unhand my child! You have the wrong man I'm sure of it" _

"_No" Naruto stepped in front of the father "I'm the one you're looking for, I won't allow you to harm that child, if you let him go, I'll go with you"_

_The man waved a free finger in the face of the ninja "That's not how this works, I know as soon as I let go of this child you will be free to attack me, he comes with us"_

_The father dropped to his knees "Please I beg you, I'll pay you the money you want just release my son"_

"_You couldn't hope to afford the price I can make for Naruto's body, even if you could what would stop me from taking your money and the bounty for the Uzumaki man?"_

"_Naruto! Please do something!" The man pounded his fists on the ground "Don't let him hurt my boy"_

_"Don't worry I'll save him" Naruto said calmly (I need a plan though if only I had a distraction)_

_As if answering Naruto's desire the small pup leapt from out under Mogaki's nearby bed and sank its teeth into the attackers leg_

"_Damn Dog!" Jyou screamed shaking his leg trying to free himself of the dog's bite_

"_Multi-clone Jutsu!"_

_Naruto created three clones one that charged forward snatching the Mogaki and his rescuer pup from the man's clutches leaping from the splintered wall into the snow. The second lifted the father to his feet and instructed him to run to safety_

_The other began swirling his hands over the originals forming a rotating ball of energy_

"_Rasengan!" Naruto shouted as he charged his opponent attempting to strike his foe._

_But before he could lay a hand on him the man's mask began to shine blasting flames from its eye and catching Naruto in the face making him fall to the floor _

_Naruto screamed as the flames licked at his bare skin, unable to put them out he charged forward again still aflame tackling his enemy sending them both out the building and into the snow where Naruto's face was put out by the snow on the ground_

_Gasping and barely able to open his eyes enough to see Naruto looked around for his enemy but could not make out any shapes from the shadows, he heard footsteps behind him and tried to turn in time to meet his opponent but was not fast enough as a strong fist collided with his still sensitive face tossing him to the ground_

_The pain from the blow combined with the large amount of burnt flesh made Naruto howl in pain_

_Jyou grabbed the reeling Naruto by his hair lifting him from the ground and shoved his face into the wall of the hotel "I did not think it would be this easy to take you out Naruto, I can only hope that your friends are as foolish as you, maybe I should take the child with me anyways and use him to bait the rest of Taka as I did you" _

_As he finished he was struck on the side of the head by a large clump of snow, turning around he saw Mogaki readying his second attack to try and protect his new friend_

_"You little brat!" Jyou shouted releasing Naruto and pulling out a kunai "Just what do you think you're doing? This isn't a game!" Mogaki hit him in the face again with another snowball bravely trying to stand his ground_

"_I'll teach you not to piss me off!" Jyou shouted charging forward at the boy kunai aimed_

_Naruto weakly lifted his still sensitive head, trying to make out any shapes he could from his blurred vision (I can't let him get Mogaki, if I could only find him) Through the dark shadows and squinted eyes Naruto was able to catch a glint of something shining in the moonlight (Mogaki's pendant!) Naruto quickly got to his feet and sprinted as fast as he could to the reflected light. _

_He reached out and found his fingers wrap around the circular medal of the silver necklace and yanked up the small boy with all his remaining strength but was unable to dodge Jyou's attack himself as the kunai caught him right at the chin and tore up through his ear._

_Naruto stumbled into a nearby collection of trees cocooning Mogaki with his arms listening carefully for their attacker. He could feel the warm blood dripping down his face and could hear it slowly drop onto the snow (Damn it where is he?)_

"_You would go out of your way to save that pathetic child?" An angry voice came from behind them_

_(Damn how did I miss him?) Naruto could feel his opponent getting closer but still could not hear his feet against the snow (He must be shifting enough chakra to his feet to tread lightly enough on the snow that it won't make any noise. This man is a pro at hunting)_

_Naruto felt two sharp blades tear into his shoulders pinning him to the tree behind him "You two have upset me enough already, luckily I don't need Naruto alive to claim my reward"_

_(I can't move my arms to shield away Mogaki, I have to save him somehow….even if it means losing my life, I need to save this boy)_

_He felt two more blades go in to his upper arms "Just in case" Jyou said snidely "Now Naruto I hope saving that boy was worth your life"_

"_I hope harming my friend was worth yours" _

_Naruto heard the sounds of a blade rip through cloth and flesh and heard a body make a soft crunch in the snow as it fell to the ground in front of him_

"_S-Sasuke?"_

_"Dobe! What are you doing here? We were supposed to stay as far from each other as possible, then I come to find this man screaming through the town to save his son, somehow I knew you would be involved"_

_Naruto heard barking and another set of footsteps sprinting towards the three _

"_Mogaki! Son are you ok?"_

_"Y-yes father thanks to Naruto"_

_Naruto spent the next few days resting in the inn with Sasuke doing his best to recover but making time in the day to see the young Mogaki. A local healer gave him an ointment for his burns and carefully wrapped his face in cloth. When the bandages were finally ready to come off she gasped "You're burns were so bad I didn't even see the gash below your ear, I'm so sorry, if I had known I could have stitched it up, it's a little too late to do anything now, it will have to scar over"_

"_Can I see?" Naruto asked_

_She handed him a mirror and he turned to admire his new facial feature_

_"I like it" Sasuke said from the opposite side of the room_

"_Yeah me too" Naruto agreed_

"_So Naruto, do you finally feel like taking off? I think I've waited for you to recover long enough, I may just leave you here"_

_"Not quite I want to take care of something first" Naruto said_

"_What?"_

_A few hours later the two exited the nearby forest hauling a load of freshly chopped wood to the house _

"_Mogaki and I really appreciate you boys offering to help us rebuild that busted wall" The father said patting the two on the back _

"_It's the least we could do" Naruto smiled back_

"_No the least we could do was pay and leave, but I guess you won't go until we're done will you?" Sasuke said grumpily_


	14. Decisions

_I hope this chapter gets out soon, because once Kickoff starts…well tomorrow for me it could be days until you see this, anyways Thursday night, it's gonna be awhile before I get back to my chair and type up any new material. I would like to thank all the readers who have stuck with me this far, and would like to welcome any newcomers, enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 14: Decisions

Naruto finished up his story and took a glance around the room seeing that only Shino was still attentively listening, most of the others had continued with other activities or had fallen asleep, which irked him a bit

"Well at least Shino has enough manners to listen until the end" He yelled before getting an elbow in the ribs from Sakura

"We're listening alright, just because our eyes aren't focused directly on you doesn't mean we're not paying attention"

Naruto wanted to argue back but sunk back into his chair instead mumbling a small thanks to Shino when a soft knock came on the door

"Come in" Lee tiredly called from his spot on the couch

Hinata poked her head in "Um I'm looking for-"

The door suddenly swung open with a loud bang exposing a very wet Kiba and Akamaru

"Here you guys are!" He shouted happily ignoring the angry looks from those who had been nodding off "What are you guys doing asleep already? It's barely into the night, let's enjoy ourselves"

"We were" Sakura declared "Most of us were hoping for a nice quiet evening with our friends"

"I guess I can settle for that" Kiba said as he and Akamaru shook themselves dry, getting Sakura, Shino, Naruto and Hinata wet in the process

"I smell like wet dog now" Shino sniffed at himself "Unpleasant"

Naruto turned back to Hinata "What were saying when you came in Hinata?"

"Oh w-well Naruto-kun I was actually hoping to talk to you, um outside"

He followed her out into the hallway the two of them were silent for a second

"Hinata, I guess I owe you an apology about last night huh?"

"Oh no" She shook her head "I may have over reacted a bit, it's just I'm not used to seeing people intoxicated like that. What I came to ask you was if you wouldn't mind training with Yoshi before the finals, he says the two of you are partners and well it sounds like the finals is a synchronization challenge and I just thought-"

"Don't worry Hinata I'll be glad to help him with his synchronization, I've already got the perfect training technique planned out"

"You do? What is it?"

"I'll show you tomorrow morning, bring him across the bridge tomorrow and we'll begin training right away"

"Thank you Naruto-kun" She bowed "And one more thing, about that dance tomorrow, I'm still willing to be your escort if you'd like" 

"Of course"

She bowed once more before retiring to her room, he returned to join the rest of their friends but it wasn't long before he found himself falling asleep on the chair he and Sakura were sharing

"Hey Naruto! Wake up! Hinata's looking for you"

"What? Who's there?" Naruto mumbled sleepily

He felt cold water splash across his face sending him cartwheeling backwards out of the chair

"Kiba! What was that for?" He sputtered

"I had to wake you up somehow, now come on Hinata and Yoshi are waiting for you" Kiba tossed him a shirt and pants and began pushing him out the door

"Where did you get these?" Naruto asked as he flipped out of his old shorts and into the new pants

"Never mind, just go"

Naruto made his way out of town and hurried to where Hinata and Yoshi were waiting. He greeted both of them and began reciting the explanation of synchronization he had once been given by Jiraiya

"Alright guys you ready" He finished

The two of them nodded

"Then let's dance!"

"Dance?"

"Summoning Jutsu!" He nipped his thumb and slammed his palm on the ground creating a cloud of smoke that blew away revealing two large toads, both the size of a large vehicle, "Yoshi this is Gamakichi and Gamatatsu"

"Hey Naruto, it's been a while" Gamakichi greeted his longtime friend

"Hello Naruto" Gamatatsu lazily waved

"So Naruto, what do ya need?"

"Remember our synch drill we ran to learn the wind toad bullet? Let's run that again"

"Oh boy" Gamatatsu cheered "I have so little time to sing anymore" he began singing and dancing with Naruto following behind matching his movements and singing along

"Um Hinata-sensei what do I do?"

"I'm not sure Yoshi" She said watching the unusual sight that was unfolding in front of them

"Join in kid, try to feel Gamatatsu's movements, don't think about it feel it"

Yoshi turned back to his sensei who gave he a reassuring nod "OK I'll try" He followed the two dancers trying to imitate their moves and trying to sing along but the words just seemed too random

"Don't imitate" Gamakichi scolded "Feel Gamatatsu's movements"

Yoshi continued to try but couldn't keep up with Naruto and Gamatatsu, after hours of practice he finally sat cross legged aggravation "I can't do this"

The two toads looked cautiously at Naruto, he took a seat next to Yoshi sitting in similar fashion "I know it seems like it might be impossible, but you'll get the hang of it. I remember how frustrated I got when I couldn't do it right at first"

This seemed to catch the younger ninja's attention "I spent days with these two trying to fall in synch with them, it's not something that's going to happen right off the bat, you gotta keep working at it"

Yoshi gave him a slight nod and got ready to start again when his stomach began to rumble

Naruto's own stomach began to make noise as well "Maybe we should take a break and eat first" 

"Will this do?" Hinata offered the men a plate of rice balls

"Mmmm snacks!" Gamatatsu reached towards the balls with his tongue before getting pounded on the head by his brother

"Go get your own food"

"No, please Gamatatsu feel free to eat, there's plenty to go around I'm sure" Hinata bowed. The toad quickly swallowed a riceball and rubbed his stomach satisfied

"Oh-ho Naruto I like this girl, you should keep her around more often so she can make me snacks"

Hinata smiled at the attempt by the toad to compliment her

"I'll keep that in mind Gamatatsu"

"Please do" He said as he swallowed another ball

They quickly finished and returned to their training, after a few more hours Yoshi seemed to finally get the basic hang of it

"I think we should call it a day" Naruto said seeing how tired Yoshi had become

"No please I'm just starting to understand how this works" Yoshi said breathlessly

"We'll have plenty of time before the finals for you to get the hang of it, but in the meantime I've got a date" Naruto flashed a big smile at Hinata who had stayed through the afternoon

"Well if that's the case we'll take off" Gamakichi said "I assume you expect us to pick this back up tomorrow?"

"Right"

"Bye Naruto, and goodbye snack lady"

The two toads disappeared and the three humans returned to their rooms

As Naruto was finishing getting ready he heard the sound of footsteps in his room

"Naruto?"

He poked his head out to see Sakura standing in his room dressed in full the full Konoha Ninja uniform, green flak jacket and leaf headband across her forehead

"Hey Sakura-chan, what are you doing here?"

She gave him a look up and down "You clean up pretty well don't you?"

"Yeah I guess so, but I still don't know what you're doing here"

"I was just dropping in to say hi, is that so bad?"

"I guess not, but I really need to be going, I got to catch up with Hinata"

"Oh" Sakura tried not to look too disappointed "Well I should probably shouldn't be here anyways, Guy-sensei and I have to return to our 'bodyguard' duties now that our portion's of the exam are over." She looked as if she had something else she wanted to say but decided against it "Well have fun Naruto" She waved as she showed herself out the door

Naruto took one last look in the mirror before he left to meet Hinata, as he approached he saw Neji and Tenten walking out of their room, Neji dressed in a long black sports jacket and Tenten wearing a very elaborate red Kimono

"Wow you guys look great" Naruto said waving to them

Tenten waved back enthusiastically "Ah Naruto have you seen Hinata's new dress yet? It looks adorable, you really lucked out you know"

"Oh I know, I bought it for her after all"

"You bought that for her?" Tenten squealed "How did you know what to get her?"

"I watched her try it on" Naruto said smiling until he heard Neji's knuckles crack

"Not like watched her put it on, she tried it on when we were around town and she let me see how it looked" He defended waving his hands in surrender to the Hyuuga

This seemed to make Neji relax a little "Will you step over here with me for a second Naruto?"

"Uh sure"

The two walked until they were just far enough from Tenten's ears

"I appreciate you appeasing my cousin by properly requesting her company to a dance"

"Neji can you talk a bit more like a normal person and not like some snooty butler?"

"Fine! My point is, even though I do like that you asked my cousin out don't think I didn't notice how you and Sakura were acting yesterday, Hinata has a weak heart and I don't want to think one of my good friends is leading her along, so please tell me right now if you are just playing a game with these two girls or if you seriously intend to court one of them."

"I wish I could tell you, but there are so many things going on with me right now I don't even really know what's going on. I don't know what's up with Sakura-chan and me, but I can promise I would not do anything to hurt Hinata's feelings, I'm not one to play those kind of games"

"Understood, thank you for being honest with me Naruto, enjoy your evening" He walked back to Tenten and took her arm as they both waved goodbye

Hinata appeared out of her room wearing her dress and a slight red tinge to her cheeks

"Naruto-kun"

Naruto spun around and his jaw involuntarily dropped when he saw Hinata. She had rolled her hair up into a tight bun and an eloquent pearl necklace with a matching bracelet on each arm

"Does that slack-jawed look mean that I look nice?" She said trying her best to make eye contact

"Hinata you….um…..you look…uh…..hi" He finally sputtered making his date's shade turn from a slight red to a much darker hue

"Well shall we go?" She offered out her arm to him

"Y-yes let's go" (_Geez usually she's the one stammering, talk about role reversal_) He took her arm and they walked out into the night

Naruto couldn't seem to take his eyes off Hinata, and though she obviously took notice she seemed to enjoy the attention

They were just approaching the location for the ballroom event when a tired Genin came rushing to their side

"Hinata-sensei please come quick!"

Hinata turned to see her only female student "What is it Sugi?"

"Hinata-sensei, Correia and Yoshi are fighting again, their conflict has become very intense. It's not one of their typical squabbles, they're really trying to hurt each other"

"Oh! Those two!" Hinata fumed as her face scrunched into a scowl "Of all nights to go at each other-" she turned to Naruto embarrassed "Naruto I'm sorry but hopefully this won't take too long to sort out, maybe you should go ahead to the dance without me"

"Are you sure you don't want me to come along?"

"No these are my students I'll handle them." She reluctantly let go of his arm and turned back to her student "Show me the way Sugi"

"Yes sensei"

The two girls took off leaving Naruto all by himself standing outside the ballroom doors, but he suddenly no longer felt like attending the event

"I guess I could wait out here until she comes back"

Naruto watched as other couples entered the building for around an hour, steadily growing more restless. Finally despite himself and Hinata's request he took off away from his spot "I'm gonna go for a walk" he miserably grumbled to himself

(_Inside the Ballroom_)

Sakura scanned the crowd searching for Naruto and Hinata but still was unable to find them (_What's going on? They should have been here by now_)

Tsunade who had began drinking earlier than usual tugged drunkenly on her apprentices' sleeve

"You seem distracted Sakura, if you can't stayed focused on your duty I may just have to dismiss you"

"No Master I'm at full attention"

"Don't lie to me" Tsunade smiled "You can't handle your body guard duties, and I don't need you slacking with my life on the line, go take the rest of the night off"

Sakura gave her master a grateful bow "Yes Tusnade-sama" (_Maybe now I can go find Naruto_)

Tsunade turned to her other shinobi guard Guy who's face was trembling

"And what's wrong with you Guy?"

"It's nothing Hokage, I just *sniff* I miss my wife so much"

"And I miss my assistant" Tsunade snapped at him "So we have something in common, we both miss Shizune, but you don't see me crying about it, now straighten up! You have to be twice as diligent with Sakura gone"

"Yes Hokage-sama!"

(_Back in town_)

Sakura hustled through Kirigakure looking for signs of Naruto finally spotting her friend standing by himself on the Hidden Mist bridge

"Hey Naruto!"

He looked up and gave her a small wave

"What are you doing out here Sakura-chan? Aren't you supposed to be with Granny?"

"She gave me the night off, so I was thinking of calling it a night"

"Then what are you doing all the way out here?"

"Um….that's not important"

Naruto shook his head incredulously "If you say so" He seemed distant to her

The two stood together in silence for a long time, Naruto looking off into the distance Sakura tried to think of something to say (_What's wrong with him?_)

"I think I'm gonna turn in for the night"

Sakura snapped her head up "Why don't I walk with you?"

"Sure"

The two made their way back to their rooms still in silence which disturbed Sakura

"Naruto is something wrong?"

He didn't respond right away

"Naruto did you hear me?"

"Sorry I'm just a little distracted I guess"

Sakura felt hurt by his indirect attitude towards her, (_what happened since yesterday when we seemed to get along so well? I'm gonna have to something to snap him out of it)_

"Well I'm going to sleep, goodnight Sakura-chan" Naruto tried to leave but he felt Sakura's soft hands wrapped tightly around his wrists

"Sakura-chan?"

She tried not to look him in the eyes as she pulled him closer to her "Naruto…stay with me tonight"

Naruto pulled his arm from her and gripped her by the shoulders forcing her to look him in the eyes "N-naruto…."

"What's wrong with you Sakura-chan? You've been acting….strange the last couple days"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"I can't quite explain it but you haven't been yourself, what happened to that girl a couple weeks ago who scolded me for leaving her behind? She was honest with me and she was honest with herself, but the way you've been acting….."

Sakura felt a sharp pain swell in her chest but did her best not to show it

"Sakura…..I couldn't wait to come back to you, and the way you treated me when I returned I thought something special was going on between us, but the way you've been acting….I can't be with you right now"

He forced himself to walk away from her knowing very well he had hurt her feelings, hoping maybe it would put some sense back into his best friend, now he had just one more thing to deal with. He made his way to Hinata's room and knocked on her door listening for any movement, he was about to knock again when he caught sight of the kunoichi walking towards him from down the hall, it appeared she hadn't noticed his presence yet

Most of her hair had fallen out of its elaborate bun and instead hung in her face and she had something smudged across her cheek that she was trying desperately to remove

"Damn" She said "I should have figured Naruto-kun wouldn't be able to wait forever, Yoshi and Correia will be in so much trouble for ruining my date, I need to find Naruto-kun and apologize"

"There's no need to do that"

The sound of Naruto's voice caught her off guard "Naruto-kun, what are you doing here?"

"I was just waiting on you, don't worry I haven't been here long"

"I'm so sorry I had to leave you by yourself"

"There's no need to apologize Hinata, you're students should come first" He reached out a hand to push away some of her hair from her eyes

"Hinata there's something I've been meaning to ask you"

"W-what is it?"

Naruto wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, he leaned in close and pressed his lips against hers feeling her grip the back of his neck gladly accepting his kiss

When they finally broke she playfully poked him in the stomach "That wasn't a real question you know"

? ? ?*** ? &* * * * * * ?

_Not a big fan of this chapter, I apologize to you readers I don't think it was up to par with some of the others I've written, I hope I can do better for you guys in the future. _


	15. The Final Exam

_I'm gonna try to get this chapter done quickly, I seem to write better when I write continually_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 15: The Final Exam

Hinata and Tenten watched as Naruto and Yoshi wove their bodies around each other attacking Lee and Neji with very coordinated movements. Yoshi launched a fireball at a charging Lee who was forced to dodge only to come face to face with Naruto who had somersaulted over the young ninja's back and landed a clean blow to the Taijutsu user.

"Wow they're really taking it to Neji and Lee aren't they? How did they learn how to work so well together?"

Hinata smiled recalling the hours of work her student put in the last few days with Gamakichi and Gamatatsu missing out on the rest of the festival to make sure they were prepared for their final exam "I think Naruto-kun is just a natural teacher" She said proudly

She felt Tenten kneading her elbow into her side, "So you finally convinced Naruto to make you his girlfriend? How'd you do it huh? Was it naughty? You can tell me" 

"Hinata pushed her friend away "It was nothing like that" She looked down to see her boyfriend was waving at her

"Naruto-kun look out!" She shouted as he took a heavy kick to the back of the head from Lee

"Lee! What part of time out don't you understand?"

"I wasn't sure if it was a clever trick to catch me off guard, you can never be too careful when fighting a wily opponent"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head trying to ease the swelling "I think we've done enough today, thanks you guys for coming out here and helping us get our attack pattern together."

"I needed a good challenge to keep my youthful soul burning"

"I think what Lee's trying to say is we needed to stretch our legs a little bit, can't let ourselves get too relaxed, this was good practice for us too"

Naruto placed his hand on his young partners head "You've done very well Yoshi, I think I think it's safe to say that girl and the old man don't stand a chance tomorrow"

"You really think that Naruto-sempai?"

Naruto affectionately rubbed his knuckles over the young ninja's head "I really do, now come on, let's spend a nice relaxing afternoon in the hot springs"

"I think we'll join you!" Lee excitedly joined in "What do you say Neji?"

"Yeah that sounds nice"

The two girls made their way down to the men Tenten practically tackled her two former team members "So are you boys calling it a day? Come on you're just getting started! Neji you're not even sweating yet" she put her face close to her boyfriends "I can change that you know"

"Stop trying to embarrass me in front of our friends" He begged

Hinata was trying to get Naruto to let her check the back of his head "Please Naruto-kun I just want to take a look at it, Lee kicked you pretty hard"

He took a hold of her grasping hands and held them gently "Don't worry Hinata I've taken bigger hits before, but I have to admit Lee I don't remember you kicking so hard"

"I would still feel better if you let me take a look" She said glumly as he took her by his side and they began walking away back to town

"If it means that much to you I'll let you take care of me when we get back to the room" He said giving her a small kiss on the top of her head which cheered her up a bit

"You guys are sooooo cuuutttee!" Tenten cooed "It's about time someone else got together; all the couples were becoming such old news, now we just need to get Ino and Sakura matched up. What do you say Lee are you up for a pairing?"

"Like Guy-sensei I will settle down when I'm good and ready. But with my intense training schedule I could not give a good woman the proper attention she deserves"

"You're no fun" She pouted

They broke ranks when they returned to their hotel the boys split up and headed to the hot springs with Naruto lagging behind.

"I may just go right to sleep after I get out of the hot springs and get some rest before tomorrow, so I might not get to see you before the finals"

"I won't let that happen, I will see you later"

He ran quickly to catch up with the other guys and after a good soak for an hour or so retired to his room to sleep, only waking up once when Hinata came to his room with dinner for the both of them.

After they finished eating they laid down together Naruto found himself quickly falling back asleep

When Naruto opened his eyes the morning had already come, he saw Hinata still in his arms

"Hinata, what time is it?"

A panicked knocking on his bedroom door told him he had slept in

"Naruto wake up already, you've got less than an hour to get to the coliseum!" Udon shouted from the other side of the door

"Damn! Why can't I ever wake up on time" He sprang up from his bed nearly knocking his girlfriend to the floor

The two of them sprinted out of the room Naruto putting a new shirt on and Hinata trying her best to straighten out her hair with her hands and Udon following behind

They came across Tenten and Temari who cat called out to the new couple as they watched the threesome crawl from the room.

Naruto paid them no attention but he saw Hinata give them some kind of gesture as they hurried to her students room, Hinata tossed the door open to find the room was empty

She breathed a sigh of relief "I'm glad they're at least on time"

"Come on!" Udon called still running down the halls "We don't have a lot of time to sit around"

Naruto hurried behind him with Hinata on his tail "You don't have to run with us you know"

"I know but I want to wish you good luck before the match"

"Why can't you do it now?"

Hinata rolled her eyes in reply

The three ninja sprinted down the street towards the coliseum with Udon leading the way, as they rounded a corner Naruto nearly ran into two men wearing long cloaks and coolie hats

"Oh…um excuse me"

The men said nothing which unnerved Naruto a bit

"Naruto come on!" Hinata called

Naruto slowly backed away from the two cloaked men, feeling their eyes watching him

"Again sorry…" He finally turned his back and ran off to catch up with his friends (_I feel like I've met them before, but I don't get a good feeling from those guys_)

Once Naruto was out of hearing range the larger figure spoke under his breath "Good luck Naruto, we'll be meeting again shortly, I'd hate to see you lose before then"

They finally approached the coliseum and saw six people standing outside of the arena. Guy, Iruka, Tsunade, Chiyo, Yamato and Ebisu all stood at the main entrance waving on Naruto.

"What are you all doing here?"

"We came to wish you good luck Naruto" Yamato said proudly "Not that you'll need it"

"We wanted to let you know how proud we are of you" Iruka slowly took off his Konoha headband and handed it to Naruto like he had almost ten years before "You can't go in there and not have the symbol of the hidden leaf on you"

Naruto had almost forgotten that he hadn't adorned a headband since returning to his home "Thank you Iruka-sensei"

"Now go in there and show this crowd what you can do" Tsunade pushed him through the entrance "We're counting on you Naruto"

"Udon!" Chiyo called after them "I'm counting on you as well, you better not lose like a wimp!"

"I won't let you down" He said confidently

As they made their way to the main floor they ran into one last group of people Gaara, Kankuro, Killer B and Sakura all stood waiting on their friend

"Uncle B, Gaara what are you guys doing here?"

"What do you think my man? I couldn't pass up a chance to see you in action, the thought of you passing the Chunin exams fills me with Passion!"

"So you still try to rhyme all the time?"

"Hey that's a good one"

Gaara stepped forward "You should have passed this test a long time ago, you better win today because I won't be showing up for another one"

"Ah you don't mean that, you're the Kazekage you have to show up to these things"

Gaara smiled ever so slightly "We'll be watching from the Kage's balcony, good luck Naruto" as he finished Kankuro, B and Gaara disappeared leaving Naruto with Udon Hinata and Sakura

Sakura stepped forward "Good luck Naruto" She shyly approached her long time friend and gave him a tight squeeze

"Thank you Sakura-chan" He hugged her back, glad that he still had her as a friend

She gave him one more squeeze and stepped back

Hinata threw her arms around her boyfriend and gave him a long kiss "Good luck Naruto-kun. Let's get to our seats Sakura" The two took off leaving Udon and Naruto as the last ones in the hallway

"You ready Udon?"

"Yeah I'm a bit nervous"

"Heh me too, but we're going to get through this"

The two made their way to arena floor and out on the battle field as the stadium erupted into cheers

They saw before them the proctor Iwamura and the other twenty two Genin who had made it to the last exam

"Well it looks like you're all finally here" Iwamura chuckled "If that's the case let's get this party started"

The crowd erupted into cheers once again

"There's no point in letting you all wait" Iwamaura announced to the crowd "We know who you people want to see, the first match of the Chunin exams with be Uzumaki Naruto and Yoshi against Kitsune and Kai"

The four genin stepped forward and faced off

"Good luck young man" Kai said warmly to Naruto extending his hand which Naruto took and shook

Iwamura pulled out four sheets of paper "Now to decide if you will be able to use physical attacks or jutsu"

He stamped each of the contestants with a sheet, Naruto and Kai had been restricted from using jutsu while Yoshi and Kitsune had been restricted from using physical attacks

"Oh dear" the hunched old man Kai said looking at the stamp "I'm afraid a frail soul like me is not going to last very long without using jutsu"

Kitsune did not look like she was pleased with the stamp either

"Well the preparations have been made, the final exam is ready to kickoff" Iwamura shouted "Begin!"

Yoshi and Naruto leapt back from their opponents waiting for them to make the first strike

"Are you ready old man?" Kitsune asked her elderly partner

He coughed a bit "As ready as I'll ever be"

Kitsune opened a small canteen that was tied to her hip and began making hand signals "Water release: Aqua Hammer" water poured from her canteen and charged towards Yoshi and Naruto's position separating them as they dodged the attack which smashed the ground below them

As the dirt flew around them Yoshi found himself face to face with the old man (_I can't dodge while in the air_) He braced himself as Kai's legs kicked out against his body catching him in the stomach and knocking the wind out of him sending him against the wall of the coliseum, he watched as the old man flipped in the air and prepared to perform a heel drop but was caught by Naruto and tackled to the ground

Now it Yoshi's turn to cast a jutsu as Naruto returned to his side after incapacitating Kai, "Fire release: Chili Breath" He launched a large fireball from his mouth which caught the Mountain ninja dead on sending him to his knees

"Yoshi watch out" Naruto called pointing to the young girl who was preparing another justsu "Water Hammer" she cried sending her water jutsu at the twosome once more, this time when they dodged they managed to stick together she tried to follow them but Naruto tossed a group of shuriken forcing her to dodge and keep her distance

"Alright Yoshi let's use the formation we practiced yesterday"

Yoshi nodded and began making hand signals releasing a fire jutsu at Kitsune, she dodged again leaping into the air distracted by the fire she didn't notice that Naruto had leapt over his partner and caught her in mid air landing a heavy punch right to her face sending her reeling to the ground in pain

The stadium erupted once more excited by the action that was beginning to pick up

In the stands all of Naruto's friends had gathered together and were shouting as loud as they could for their comrade

"It appears this battle should be no contest for Naruto" Shino stated

"Yeah especially with all the synch training he and Yoshi have worked on recently" Neji agreed "Unfortunately I don't think those other two will stand a chance, Naruto could probably have won this match on his own"

Not too far away Taka was watching from their seats

"It's too bad, I was hoping to see Naruto challenged a bit more" Suigetsu pouted "This is going to get boring fast"

"Don't be so sure" Sasuke said

Yoshi and Naruto regrouped looking around for Kai, but the old man seemed to have disappeared

"Where did Kai go?" Yoshi asked

"I have no idea"

Kitsune also seemed to be lost when the ground behind her split open and revealed the aged ninja

She turned angrily around "You idiot! You used a jutsu! You've disqualified us"

The only man sighed "I'm sorry my dear, I had no intention of following the rules of the final match" He struck at his team mate catching her in the neck knocking her unconscious

Yoshi and Naruto looked on in shock "You just took out your own opponent!"

The old man caught the young girl before she could hit the ground "I know, I couldn't have her getting involved any longer, I don't intend to hold back in this match and she would be in danger of getting hurt"

He leapt into the stands gently laying her down before returning to the field

"Kai!" Iwamura shouted "You have used a jutsu despite being marked and have attacked your own team mate, you are hereby disqualified from the match"

"I'm aware of that" Kai said planted firmly on the ground, he gripped a rope that was tied around his body to his uniform and loosened it, upon it's release a large stone tablet fell from under his clothes landing with a large thud to the ground "But I can't let you stop this match"

He slapped the stone tablet which began to glow before launching a powerful shield around the arena floor. He turned back to his opponents with a satisfied grin no longer hunched over

(_He's been carrying that large stone this whole time….and he was still able to reach the end of the maze, he must be pretty fast_)

The proctors leapt at the shield but found they could not break the barrier

Kai gave the leaf ninja another toothless "I've been waiting a long time for a real challenge to make an appearance, Uzumaki Naruto you are that challenger I have been waiting for"

Naruto couldn't help but smile "I can understand your desire to find a worthy opponent, I can't bring myself to play against the rules though, I've got a lot of people counting on me to pass this final exam, I'm sorry to say you won't be fighting me at my full strength"

"Understood" Kai disappeared right before their eyes reappearing in front of Yoshi striking him in the chest

(_He's really fast_) Naruto thought as he caught his team mate keeping him on his feet "Keep your eyes open Yoshi" He went back to back with his team mate

Kai leapt from the ground below in front of both of them

"Duck!" Naruto shouted waiting for his team mate to lower his head before he stabbed at both enemies with kunai, instead of blood they spurted mud onto the team before dissolving back into the dirt

"Clones! Then where is the real one?"

"Naruto look up!"

Naruto saw Kai descending quickly upon them just in enough time to push Yoshi out of the way and roll to safety

He came to the ground with more of a splash than a crash and disappeared below the Earth

"Yoshi he's obviously very skilled with Earth Jutsu, stay sharp"

"What should we do?"

"Right now we should try to survive"

A crack formed below Yoshi's feet and began creating an opening, he immediately cast a fire jutsu directly into the crack hoping to land a blow on their enemy but as soon as he released the attack Kai appeared once more out of the dirt at Yoshi's side catching him by surprise and delivered a swift kick to the side of the head sending Yoshi reeling.

Naruto managed to reach Kai before he could retreat back into the ground. Gripping the old man by the collar he tossed him in Yoshi's direction

"Yoshi! Head's up!"

Yoshi fired his fire jutsu once more with such force it sent the old shinobi back at Naruto who prepared a roundhouse kick tossing Kai directly into his own barrier

"That was very good" Sai admired from the stands as cheers emanated from the crowd around them

Kai slid to the ground and attempted to collect himself before he could fall to another attack but Naruto was too quick and proceeded to let a series of punches and kicks fly.

Kai finally managed to escape the barrage but ran into Yoshi who nearly attempted strike his opponent with his fist before remembering his limitation

Kai took advantage of this pause and escaped back into the dirt before Naruto could reach them

"We lost him again"

Kai and four mud clones reappeared a good distance away from the two ninja

"This is quite a contest" He said happily "And you two have managed to cause me quite a workout even while following all of Iwamura's rules" He dusted off his shoulder "Now I think it's time I showed you my favorite technique" He and his mud clones began furiously weaving hand signals before slapping the ground hard with his palm "Earth Release: Clay Armory"

Their hands sank into the dirt below and when they were removed each showed to have a different weapon, a katana, a bow staff, a zanbatou, a hammer and the last had two kodachi

The five Kai's charged ready to strike

"Yoshi jump!"

Yoshi did as he was instructed leaping high into the air leaving Naruto to fend for himself. Naruto easily dodged his first two attackers who had longer weapons and seemed a bit more off balance, but he was forced to defend himself with a kunai as the Katana wielder missed catching Naruto's ear by inches

Just as the hammer wielder was about to take advantage by striking Naruto's open back Naruto leapt from his feet leaving the five Kai's below

They hadn't noticed Yoshi had been weaving a very complicated group of hand signals while Naruto had managed to make them gather in one general location

"Fire release: Fire Tornado" He released his jutsu which sent a spiraling inferno descending on the five Kai's catching all of them in their blaze

"That's gotta be the end" Choji cheered excitedly from the stands as the rest of Naruto's friends watched on waiting to find out if the match was really over.

As the flames finally began to clear the smoke revealed that none of the Kai's remained

"Did Yoshi take it too far?" Hinata trembled

"More likely Kai escaped again" Shikamaru said scanning the field looking for any signs of the old man

The two leaf ninja landed side by side and were now standing close to the stone that had created a barrier

"Did he retreat to the dirt again?" Yoshi asked

"I think so"

Kai popped out of the dirt again knocking Naruto away and kicking Yoshi into the stone tablet, upon contact chains flew out restraining Yoshi tying him securely to the stone

The other Konoha ninja looked on in surprise "Where did those chains come from?" Hinata cried out

Neji tried to calm her down "The tablet must have been stocked with more than just a barrier jutsu, who knows what else it could do"

Kai reached back into the ground using his armory jutsu and pulled out a long dagger "It looks like I won't be able to keep up with you guys much longer, you two are much stronger than I thought, I'm sorry Naruto but this battle has to end now, I know it may not be the most honest way to win a match but I'm going to have to ask you to surrender, I don't want to hurt your friend here"

"Sempai don't, we can't give up, we've fought this hard-"

"Don't worry Yoshi I've got everything under control" Naruto crept closer to the tablet

"Don't try anything now" Kai pointed the dagger closer to Yoshi "I'm telling you it's time to give up"

"I never give up" Naruto said proudly

"Suit yourself boy" Kai readied his weapon at Yoshi, as he was about to strike Naruto plunged his fist into the stone tablet making contact with something on the inside

As soon as he did Kai dissolved into mud and the tablet crumbled, lowering the barrier and revealing the real Kai lying unconscious on the rubble

The crowd exploded once more in cheers for Naruto and Yoshi who held their hands high waving to the thousands of onlookers celebrating their victory

Sasuke silently cheered on his friend (_so you were able to see through Kai's guise after all?_)

Temari pulled on her fiancé's sleeve "Was Kai in there the whole time?"

"I don't think so….I think he slipped in when the five Kai's used his armory, using them as a distraction he made his way into the tablet to end the match on his terms, too bad it backfired. It would have been a clever strategy, if Naruto didn't surrender and tried to take out the mud clone he would have revealed himself inside the tablet and just used Yoshi as a bartering chip to force Naruto's surrender anyways, but sealing himself away in the tablet like that prevented him from moving when Naruto realized where he was hiding"

"Way to go Naruto!" Sakura and Hinata chanted from their seats

Iwamura gathered up Kai's unconscious body "You're first round victors ladies and gentlemen Yoshi and Naruto!"

Naruto gathered his now fellow chunin in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles over his head "Congrats Yoshi!"

"Congratulations to you as well sempai" Yoshi grunted

Iwamura waited for the crowd to settle down "And now for the next match-"


	16. The Challenger

_**So tell me what you guys think.**__ I am thinking of also writing a series of shorts based off of this story, but not things that I would consider important to the main story line, stuff like missions Naruto might go on, interactions with his friends and other villagers, maybe Temari and Shikamaru's wedding, throw in some stories from Naruto's time with Taka. But again they would be shorts, like 800-1000 words maybe. Let me know what you think, I don't want to write it if no one is going to read it. SO here's the new chapter Enjoy. The only other thing I guess I have to say is that this fic is far from over_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 16: The Challenge

Naruto and Yoshi were escorted to the medical examiners room, the Kirigakure medic-nin began examining the two of the very thoroughly. Yoshi had extensive deep tissue bruising across his chest and abdominal area; they even found that a few of his ribs had also been damaged. Just as they were starting their work on Naruto four visitors walked in

Hinata, Sakura, Akamaru and Kiba all walked in. Hinata rushed over to Yoshi who was being led to a hospital bed by one of the medics

"Yoshi are you ok?"

"He'll be fine" The medic assured her "He will need to take it easy for a few days maybe more than a week, but he'll be in good shape in no time."

"What about you Naruto?" Sakura prodded

"He appears to be fine" The medic said calmly inspecting his lower body

"What about his head wound?"

"What are you talking about Sakura-chan my head feels-" before he could finish Sakura drilled her fist into the back of his skull, hitting him so hard blood came out of his nose

"Looks like I've got the good old Sakura-chan back" He said rubbing his head furiously "What was that for anyways?"

"You took a gamble on Yoshi's life! What if you had guessed wrong and Kai wasn't hiding in the stone? Yoshi could have been really hurt"

"I knew he was there the whole time, relax Sakura-chan"

This caused her eyes to twitch, cracking her knuckles she began readying herself for another strike but Kiba restrained her

"We don't need to give these guys any extra work, these aren't the only two they'll have to examine today"

"Yes, speaking of which we should attend to our other two patients in the next room, please excuse us" The medics were about to leave when the one inspecting Naruto poked his head in the room one last time "And don't worry we'll have someone take care of the broken ankle shortly"

"Broken ankle?" Kiba scratched his head "When the hell during that fight did you break your ankle?"

"I felt something snap when I kicked Kai into the barrier, that guy has a really hard head" Naruto winced rubbing his swelling foot "Kiba shouldn't you be watching the matches? What if one of your students matches comes up?"

Embarrassed his friend tried to wave off the question but when Naruto persisted he admitted that none of his students had even passed the first round

"I guess I'll have to prepare them better for the next exam" He said sheepishly "Udon is up right now though, we asked the others to stay and cheer him on for you"

"Udon's out there? I can't sit here, he needs my support" Naruto tried to get up but was forced back onto his chair by Hinata and Sakura

"Oh no you don't, you've got to lay off that foot"

"Sakura-chan" He whined

"Please don't argue with her Naruto-kun" Hinata spoke up "She's right, you've put enough pressure on yourself today, it's time to rest"

Clearly displeased Naruto sunk back into his seat "You should get out there then, Sugi is Udon's team mate and your student"

"You're right, I'll return to my seat" She pressed her forehead lightly against Naruto's "Congratulations Naruto-kun" She gave him a light kiss on his brow before congratulating Yoshi and making her exit with Kiba and Akamaru following suit

Sakura stayed behind sitting next to Naruto and gave him another look over using her medical ninjustsu

"Sakura-chan I've been examined enough"

"No more whining from you today, it's agitating. I know you've been examined already but I'm a little more familiar with your body then they are, I've had to heal you enough times to know what parts of you need to be double checked"

Naruto allowed her to finish without another word, when she was done she picked up the medical chart the medics had left behind and laughed

"What is it?"

"It says recovery for that ankle will take you 6-8 weeks"

"Why is that funny?"

"We both know you'll be on your feet before that, these ninja just don't know you like I do" She took the pen from the clipboard and scribbled something out before making her own adjustments "More like 6-8 days" She put the clipboard back down and stretched

"Sakura-chan you can't miss out on the exams, you should go join the others"

Sakura agreed, she walked over to Yoshi and congratulated him as she passed by Naruto again she leaned down to give him a hug "I'm proud of you Naruto" she said softly

Hugging her back he took in the warm embrace of the friend he had missed for so long, she finally let go and left the room.

"We did it Naruto-sempai" Yoshi laid back against his pillow "We're Chunin"

The blonde just smiled to himself and listened as best as he could to the fight going on in the arena. After a couple minutes of barely audible chants the room began to rumble as cheers could be heard even in their secluded room

"It sounds like the match is over sempai"

The two sat in silence for a while before the medics wheeled in a stretcher with a familiar though badly beaten face.

"U-Udon?"

Naruto hardly recognized his companion, his lip was swollen and bleeding, his nose appeared to be broken, and he had a black eye and a bruise that covered most of his forehead

When Udon turned to look at Naruto there was brilliance to his eyes and he slowly gave Naruto a thumbs up

"Udon….you passed!"

The teenager was barely able to give him an affirming nod. The medic wheeling him in asked Naruto not to disturb him any longer and began attending to Udon's major injuries. Sugi followed in shortly after without a single scratch "Will Udon be ok?" She asked the medic who was working on him

"He's fine, but we need to keep his heads swelling down, that's going to require a lot of concentration on my part"

Sugi nodded and took a seat next to Naruto "Congratulations" She said blandly

"Yeah you too….so how did Udon get beat up so bad but you escaped unscathed?"

"Udon was unfortunate enough to be banned from using Jutsu, he insisted on acting as a distraction much like a punch bag to allow me to attack our opponents. But we prevailed"

"Congratulations to both of you" Yoshi tiredly said

The four of them remained in the medical room; eventually a med-ninja came to apply a splint to Naruto's foot. Udon and Yoshi were soon approved for dismissal and left with Sugi to watch the last few matches of the day. Naruto however was forced to stay

"We have instructions to lead you to the hospital" A medic said

"I've already got the stupid splint!"

"I'm sorry but we have to keep you here for now"

"You can keep me once you catch me" Naruto hobbled as fast as he could out of the room using the nearest wall for balance, looking back he saw that none of the medics had followed him

"Maybe they haven't noticed I'm gone, haha looks like I get to watch the last couple matches" When he turned back around he found three very angry women impeding his way

Tsunade, Sakura and Hinata were all standing before him "Where do you think you're going?" Tsunade demanded

"Uh…the hospital?"

"Good answer" She snapped her fingers and Choji and Guy who had crept up behind gathered him under their arms and hauled him from the arena

Naruto was admitted to the hospital as he was told though not without attempting a few bribes on Guy and Choji. When his efforts proved fruitless he gave in and allowed himself to be assisted to the Hidden Mist hospital.

The next few days proved very difficult for Naruto, he had been fitted with a cast around his ankle, and though he was stranded in his hospital bed his friends came and went bringing him food or news, at one point Chiyo and Udon showed up to bring Naruto his belongings.

He learned from a very displeased Yoshi that Correia had also passed the finals and would be made a Chunin. But as the days carried on many of his friends informed him they were returning to Konoha: Choji and Ino were the first, followed by Shikamaru, Temari and Kiba. Killer B who had probably spent the most time in the hospital with Naruto besides Hinata and Sakura informed him that he had to leave as part of his Brother the Raikage's entourage.

Gaara, Iruka, Sakura and Guy stopped by giving Naruto similar messages, letting him know they had to return with their escorts or act as escorts. Finally Team Ebisu and Team Hinata also let Naruto know they would be taking off, though Hinata allowed herself a long goodbye promising to see him as soon as he returned to the village.

(_At this rate there will be no one left, I'll have to walk all the way back to Konoha myself_)

On the fourth day Neji, Tenten and Lee arrived telling him they had requested he be released into their custody but the doctors said he had not recovered enough yet to make the journey all the way to Konoha

He sighed at their unfortunate news "Well I guess I'll be traveling back with the ANBU" Yamato, Sai and Shino were the only ones who had not visited him once while he was in the hospital

The three guests exchanged nervous looks

"What?" He asked them

"Well" Tenten began hesitantly "the ANBU were actually the first to take off, after it was determined that there was no threat to interrupt the festival the Hidden Mist ANBU teams took over"

Naruto slumped back into his bed "You've got to be kidding me"

"Naruto I will gladly stay behind to keep you company" Lee said but Naruto waved them off

"Don't worry about me guys, who knows how long it will be until I get out of here"

The three solemnly said their goodbyes and left the room leaving Naruto alone for another night

Around midnight Naruto became restless he carefully tested his foot on the hospital tile

(_It feels good to me_)

He gathered up his belongings and opened his window, "Konoha here I come"

He jumped from his third story window making sure to land on his foot that was not broken

"It feels good to be up and walking again" He stretched his arms and legs readying himself for the long journey back home, and without waiting another minute took off into the darkness

From a nearby rooftop two shadows readied themselves for their own departure

"It appears he's on the move" the shorter of the two spoke "Is now the time?"

"We'll wait until we're out of the village and then we make our move"

They leapt from their perch and began to pursue their target

Naruto had not gotten when he noticed his pursuer's (_They don't seem to be trying to hide their presence, what could these guys be up to_)

He reached the very edge of the village and leapt from cliff landing firmly on the ground turning to face his tailgaters

"Looking for someone?"

Naruto spun again seeing the two cloaked men had managed to get behind him without his notice

"I remember you from the other day, what do you want?"

"Straight to the point good, I want to challenge you to a fight"

"You too huh? Seems like everyone wants a piece of me lately, so will I be taking you both on at the same time? Or am I taking you guys out one at a time?"

"You will only be facing my associate here" The cloaked man pointed to his shorter partner "I'm sure you will find he is more than an adequate match"

"Sure just give me a second to prepare myself" Naruto lifted his cast in the air and brought his foot down hard shattering the cast freeing his foot of it's bulk

"Feels good to get out of that thing, it was itchy" He said scratching at his foot "So how are we gonna start this?"

"Why don't you make the first move?" The taller cloaked figure suggested

"Don't mind if I do" He took a single step back and readied a kunai watching as the taller man took off into the distance and his shorter partner readied himself in similar fashion to Naruto with Kunai in hand

They charged toward each other, their weapons colliding with such force it caused them to shatter, both combatants took advantage of the force and continued through with their attack nearly striking one another in the head, but like a mirror image they both managed to guard themselves with their unoccupied arm

(_Is he mimicking my movements? It certainly seems like he is. Guess I should test it_)

Naruto broke free and cast his shadow clone jutsu, starting off slow creating only 3 clones, when he looked back at his opponent he had also created 3 clones (_Damn this guy is mimicking my movements, how is he doing it so quickly_)

The eight fighters met head on striking at one another, all the clones vanished leaving the originals attempting to trade blows with each other but managed to block all of the others attacks

(_This is getting ridiculous_) Naruto grunted as he attempted to overpower his foe but as he began to feel himself gaining ground his ankle tweaked sending a shooting pain up his leg making him lose his ground. His opponent caught on forcing Naruto to his knees and delivered a swift knee to his chin before kicking him in the ribs sending him tumbling to the ground

"Alright fine, if I'm gonna win this I'm gonna have to do it in a way you can't copy"

He cast his clone jutsu again creating just one clone who began forming a powerful jutsu in his right hand. Before releasing his clone he caught a glimpse of his enemy who was performing the exact same jutsu with his own clone

(_No way, what is going on?_) Angered he sent his clone forward attempting to use him as a distraction, the cloaked figures clone attacked as well causing both to dissipate, Naruto used the smoke to disguise his movements. He saw his enemies Rasengan was still the same size it was when it was formed

"I've got you this time! Big Ball Rasengan!"

Naruto did catch his enemy by surprise as his Big Ball Rasengan proved too much for the copycats Rasengan, force of the blow sent the masked fighter sprawling on all fours to the ground

"I've fought against enough copy ninja's to know your weaknesses" Naruto took advantage of his opponents opening and began casting a jutsu "Restrain!" the dirt below the incapacitated ninja became five chains wrapping around his neck, arms and legs pinning him to the ground

"Time to finish this" Naruto began forming the Rasengan again prepared to finish his opponent off but just as he was about to reach the other cloaked man stepped in "Well I guess I'll be your opponent now" His arm began to glow with lightning energy "Raigeki!"

Multiple blots of lightning forced Naruto away, and he disengaged his Rasengan and began making a new set of hand signals, as he finished a solid stone wall appeared in front of him making the lightning jutsu useless

"It's not wise to take your eyes off your opponent" The cloaked man appeared above Naruto with his hand surging with lightning chakra

Naruto dodged just as the attacked drilled into the ground. The challenger pulled his hand back "You're quicker than you used to be"

"What do you mean used to be?" Naruto asked as he dodged another Raigeki attack

"You don't recognize me? We've met before I assure you"

"I can't even see your face" Naruto released a powerful wind attack that forced his enemy off his footing

"I have to say I'm a bit offended, Sasuke was able to recognize me just fine"

The comment caught Naruto's attention "When did you see Sasuke?"

"Oh a couple of days ago, I guess you could say we ran into each other"

Naruto now took the offensive; he finished his latest signals and shoved his hand into the ground plucking a nunchaku

"That looks like the armory technique the old man used against you in the Chunin exams. I'm surprised you've mastered it so quickly"

"You saw that huh? Sasuke helped me work on memorizing hand signals" bounding from his spot he whipped his new weapon towards the man, barely missing his shoulder, but his cloak tore anyways and a small speckle of blood appeared

"Combining wind chakra to a jutsu you haven't used before, this just gets more exciting by the minute"

"Shut up and fight already" Naruto struck out again trying to catch his combatant in the side but the cloaked figure was prepared this time, ducking the blow and striking out at Naruto's injured foot, causing Naruto to drop once more.

Rather than strike again the cloaked man retreated back to his bound accomplice releasing him from Naruto's earthen shackles

(_Damn I can not take them both on at the same time with this leg; if I want to win this fight I gotta do it in one stroke_)

He nipped his finger between his teeth and slapped his palm to the ground "Summoning Jutsu"

Gamatatsu and Gamakichi appeared beside their friend

"Calling on us again so soon?"

"Gamakichi I need you and Gamatatsu's help, I need you guys to help perform the toad bullet"

"Woah! Really? Are you in that much of a pinch?"

"I don't have much time to explain just get ready"

the two toad brothers stood side by side and allowed Naruto to leap onto their backs. As both toads took a deep breath Naruto gathered as much wind chakra as he could

The two cloaked men took a few steps back preparing to retreat "This is not good; we need to get out of-"

"Wind Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"

The enormous inferno scorched everything within hundreds of feet before Naruto, leaving virtually nothing left.

"Did we do it?" Gamatatsu asked "Do I get my snacks now?"

Naruto was about to begin celebrating his victory when some of the ash covering the ground began to stir.

"I don't think it's over yet"


	17. Jonin?

_This will probably be a short chapter, you guys figure out who the cloaked guys are yet? _

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 17: Jonin?

Naruto and the two toad brothers uneasily watched as the two men he had assumed were beaten crawled from the pile of ash that covered them.

"Naruto, how did they survive our attack?" 

"I'm not sure Gamatatsu"

"Well what are we gonna do next?"

Naruto remained silent watching as the two men picked themselves up off the ground

Sputtering the two tried to make a gesture to Naruto but he couldn't quite make it out what they were signaling.

"I think they want you to go over there" Gamakichi said squinting at the dark figures "Maybe they've given up"

"I'm not sure, I'll go over, you two stay on guard in case it looks like I need help"

Naruto cautiously approached the two cloaked me who were still trying to empty their lungs of soot

"So do you give up?" He taunted

The shorter man managed to voice a few words in between gags but Naruto could not make it out

"I'm sorry I couldn't quite hear that, what did you say?"

"*Cough!* I said *Cough!* You took it too far *Cough* Naruto *Cough!* Niichan!"

"N-niichan?" Naruto yanked the coolie hat from the shadowy figure revealing a patch of bushy brown hair, a pair of goggles and a young teenage face

"K-Konohamaru? What are you doing here?"

"We came here to *Cough!* make sure you weren't slacking on your *Cough!* training"

"We?"

Naruto removed the other man's hat as well unveiling spiky grey hair and a masked face

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"So you finally recognize me?"

"How was I supposed to recognize you with that disguise?"

"Like I said; Sasuke was able to recognize me just fine"

"Well good for Sasuke" Naruto frowned "Why did you go through all this trouble just to fight me?"

"I didn't think you would give it your all if you knew who we were. We were also asked by Lady Tsunade if should we encounter you during the festival we were to keep our identities concealed. So you wouldn't be distracted"

"I don't like all this sneaking around" Naruto said glaring at the two fellow leaf ninja "But boy did I miss you guys"

At this point the two toads had also made their way over

"So Kakashi and Konohamaru, I thought your chakra felt familiar"

"Does this mean we can go home now brother?"

"Well I was hoping we could continue the fight" Naruto said stretching his arm

Kakashi waved the suggestion off "I don't think so, I wouldn't want to risk you injuring your foot any further"

"Then why did you attack me in the first place?" Naruto mumbled

Kakashi pretended not to hear his former students whining

"You two may return to Mount Myoboku, Konohamaru and I will take Naruto back to Konoha"

the two toads said their farewells before vanishing in a puff of smoke

Konohamaru and Kakashi slipped Naruto over their shoulders

"I don't need to be carried guys"

"Quit complaining Niichan and just accept some help" Konohamaru smiled

Naruto hadn't had time to notice how much Konohamaru had physically matured, though he was still shorter than Naruto he had become very muscular and had a much larger frame than most Ninja, much like Asuma

"Hey Naruto-niichan, what are you looking at?"

"Nothing Konohamaru, let's go home"

The three took off, running throughout the night arriving at Konoha just as the sun was rising over the town

"It's good to be back" Naruto admired the city that stood before him and then let out a big yawn "I hadn't noticed until now how tired I was, I should get some sleep" He thanked his teacher and his 'rival' and picking up his belongings managed to make his way home, as soon as he entered the door to his apartment he tossed his bag to the floor and collapsed onto his bed, falling into a deep sleep

A few hours passed before he awoke again, looking at his clock he saw that it was now late afternoon (_It's late, I should eat, maybe I'll make my way down to see the old man and get some ramen!_)

Excited by the thought of enjoying Ichiraku Ramen he sprang out of bed and changed his clothes, then sprinted through the town chanting "Ramen" like a little kid before finally arriving at his destination

"Hey! Old man!" He shouted as stepped up to the ramen stand

"Ah Naruto! You're back!" The store owner greeted him "How did the exam go?"

Naruto gave him a thumbs up "I passed just like I expected"

"Haha that's great news, to celebrate have a special bowl of Ramen on me" he immediately began preparing a large bowl for his favorite customer

'Oho! Thank you old man!" Naruto bowed his head and lifted his chopsticks and prepared to dig in when a familiar shriek made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end

"NARUTO!" Sakura shouted as she approached the Ramen shack

(_Oh God what did I do this time?_)

He felt a pair of strong hands lift him by the collar and yank him from his stool

"I can't believe you just up and left the hospital on your own! They hadn't even discharged you yet you idiot!"

"Sakura-chan-"

"Shut up! Tsunade-sama got a report from the hospital that you had gone missing; we thought you just up and left with Sasuke or something, or that someone had kidnapped you, what were you thinking?"

"I was just-"

"I told you to shut up! Now we're going to see Tsunade-sama right now!"

"B-b-but Sakura-chan the ramen!" he cried as she dragged him down the street further away from the shop

They reached the Hokage residence with Sakura still gripping Naruto's collar tightly though he had managed to make it to his feet

"Tsunade-sama I found him"

Tsunade leered down at Naruto with the same annoyed look Sakura had "So you thought it would be a good idea to just walk out the hospital when you knew very well I requested you to stay until you had been cleared by the medical staff. Do you have a good reason for leaving?"

Naruto nervously scratched the back of his head "N-not really, just bored I guess"

"Bored" A vein popped right out of the Hokage's forehead "You went against my orders and jeopardized your health because you were bored?"

She seemed like she was ready to blow up at him but instead clenched her teeth, she did however grip her desk so hard everyone in the room could hear wood crack. As calmly as she could Tsunade resumed speaking

"Seeing as we expected you to be gone a few more days we went ahead and appointed the Genin who passed this exam with their Chunin assignments, I guess it's only fair we appoint you yours"

She reached into her desk and pulled out a large manila folder "This will be your first mission as an official Konoha Chunin"

He gave the folder an odd look and then looked back at Tsunade "Chunin? I thought I was going to receive a Jonin position"

"You were, that is until you decided to disobey my request"

Naruto's jaw dropped "Are you serious you old hag? You're going to hold me back at the Chunin level because I decided to come home early?"

"You have your assignment, you are dismissed" The Hokage waved him out the door

"But-"

Sakura shoved him out before he could protest "She said leave!" she slammed the door once he was completely in the hallway and turned back to her master

"Are you really going to hold back Naruto's Jonin appointment?"

"Just for a little while, he needs to know he can't just do as he pleases anymore, if he wants to be taken seriously as a ninja he will have to start listening to my orders better. And I'm not exactly holding back on his missions, he's received an A class mission just now"

Naruto flipped through the pages in his folder as he made his way back home memorizing the information held in between the pages

(_An A rank solo mission? Guess Granny isn't as pissed as she acted haha! Small raiding parties…..defend the farming village…avoid confrontation in or around the village if at all possible. There aren't a whole lot of particulars to this mission, seems pretty cut and dry_)

He finally made it once more to his apartment and upon entering saw a package sitting on his bed with a small note attached to it

_Congratulations on your appointment, good luck on your first mission- Kakashi_

He opened the package and discovered five Konoha ninja uniforms and flak jackets

"Appropriate, I guess it wouldn't be very official of me to go on missions in a t-shirt and shorts anymore"

He began preparations for his mission, gathering as many tools as he could fit into his new uniforms and prepared a couple scrolls tethering them to his jackets

After his preparations were complete he checked the time, "I've got to make sure to get plenty of rest before leaving tomorrow, but I guess I could make one stop tonight" His stomach began to growl "Make that two stops"

He rushed over to Ichiraku and grabbed a quick bowl of ramen before making his way to the outer edges of the town where the larger houses were.

Stopping at one of the smaller duplex models he knocked on the door and waited for an answer

The door opened a crack and an eye peered from inside

"Ah Naruto! You made it back!" Tenten swung the door open and ushered him inside "I thought you'd be in kirigakure a few more days"

"Well I just couldn't stay away from Konoha any longer" He joked "So do you live here too? I thought this was Hinata's place?"

"We share it actually, well us and Neji basically lives here too" She poked him playfully in the chest "And I bet I'll be seeing you around here a lot more too, just keep it down when you start making your *ahem* 'midnight visits'"

"I'll try to remember that" Naruto said blushing "So where is Hinata?"

As the words left his mouth he heard a small squeak come from the other side of the room, knowing it was Hinata he turned to greet her but the sight before him forced him to stop dead in his tracks

Hinata's face was bright red from embarrassment as she stood in the living room of her house wearing nothing but a towel that was gripped tightly to her body which she had almost dropped when she saw her boyfriend standing in her home

"N-naruto-kun, I-I didn't know you were coming" She realized he was fighting very hard to avoid staring

"I uh figured I'd uh come see you, I uh thought it would be a nice surprise" His nose began to drip with blood a bit as he fought the urge to ogle his girlfriend, remembering what his clone had seen at the hotel helped but it didn't make him feel any less pervy

"I'll j-just go get dressed" She turned tail and ran to her room. She couldn't help smile a bit to herself after catching a glimpse of a dumbstruck Naruto who watched her leave with great interest

"You look like you gotta take care of something Naruto" Tenten howled

"I'm fine I swear" He lied clenching his nostrils shut

Hinata quickly through on some day clothes trying to wear something that would keep Naruto's attention, the look he had before had not left her uncomfortable, she actually was in quite a flirty mood now admiring herself for a brief second in her new t-shirt and jeans, she knew Tenten would berate her for wearing such unflattering clothing after Naruto's display but she was not someone who would flaunt her body around just to tease her boyfriend….._(although it could be fun to do one of these days_)

She returned to see Naruto seated on one of their couches no longer clutching his nose, she took a seat next to him and was pleasantly surprised when he instinctively took a hold of her hand when she approached

"So what are you doing here Naruto-kun?"

"Tsunade's sending me on my first Chunin mission tomorrow, I don't know how long I'll be gone and since we've already been apart a couple days I thought I'd come see you"

"That's very sweet, so what's the mission?"

"I just need to keep one of the nearby farming villages safe from some raiders that have been appearing around the country; hopefully I won't run into them"

"But if you do, will you be prepared?"

"Of course"

"I mean will your ankle be ok?"

"It still bugs me a little but it's nothing I can't handle" he insisted

They talked a little more about Naruto's return home; he mentioned fighting with Kakashi and Konohamaru

"That's awful they would trick you like that"

"Nah, they just wanted to see how much I've improved since I left"

"Still attacking you in your condition, Kakashi-sensei should know better"

"He's keeping me on my toes, a real enemy wouldn't wait until I was fully healed before confronting me"

"I suppose"

"So what are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well all your students passed, you don't have a Genin team anymore"

"I'm sure Tsunade-sama has plenty of missions for me and my team, I will still work with the three of them often"

"I bet you're very proud, and just think of how proud Kurenai must be, one of her students successfully trained three genin of her own?"

Hinata was touched by Naruto's praise and thanked him with a deep kiss which he hungrily accepted.

The two enjoyed the feel of one another for awhile while their kiss grew more passionate, Naruto thought he even heard Hinata give a slight moan which was suddenly interrupted by a few mocking coughs

Startled the two looked up to see Neji and Tenten laughing to each other "Cousin" Neji began stifling his laughter "I thought we had an agreement to avoid these inappropriate visits when I was coming over"

Fuming Hinata lifted herself off the couch "Neji that's not funny"

"Actually it's very funny" He returned

"I should be going" Naruto said following Hinata off the couch

"No don't go because of us" Tenten said "we're just teasing a little"

"Don't worry it's not you guys, I have to leave for a mission in the morning, I should be getting home"

"Are you being asked to guard a village as well?" Neji inquired

"Aha! Tsunade gave you a similar assignment? So that explains YOUR visit" Naruto joked making the couple a little embarrassed

"Guys! We had a deal!" Hinata protested

"We know, we know, come on Neji we'll just go back to your place"

"But I still live with my uncle"

"Well then what are we supposed to do?" Tenten whined

"You guys can stay here tonight; I'll go to Naruto-kun's place for the night"

This announcement caught all three of them by surprise as she turned to grab a few things from her room, she hurried Naruto out the door and they made their way back to his home.

"Hinata, this is a bit sudden" Naruto said blushing

"I-I didn't mean it like that" She defended "It's just that I don't know how long you'll be gone for, I would like to get as much time with you while I can"

He nodded "Plus I could die on a mission like this"

She punched him lightly "Don't say that!"


	18. The Return

_Time skip! It's been two weeks since the last chapter Naruto has successfully completed his first mission, but just barely_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 18: The Return

"Just hang on a little bit longer Neji" Naruto grunted as he hefted his unconscious comrade over his shoulder, he checked the patched up wound Neji had received to the chest and saw that it was still bleeding, though the bandages Naruto had applied seemed to have slowed the flow.

He strained against the weight of the man "How has no one spotted us yet?" He continued slowly making his way towards the front gates of Konoha, passing through the enormous wood doors he became furious accidentally allowing Neji to slip off his shoulder

"Where the hell is everybody?" He demanded shouting to the surprisingly empty streets in front of him, as he tried to lift Neji back onto his back two ninja arrived to assist him

"We'll take him to the hospital Naruto-san" one of them said

"Great"

"What about you?"

"I can make my own way there, just get him there as fast as you can"

"Right" They took off carrying the injured shinobi with them, Naruto did his best to shuffle through town, finally arriving at the hospital

"I need to check myself in" He grunted

"For what?" The receptionist asked

He opened his flak jacket to reveal a gaping wound just below his arm; he coughed up a bit of blood before passing out, smacking his head against the receptionist desk

As he opened his eyes he saw a bright light hanging overhead

"I think he's starting to wake up"

He saw a couple of shadows hovering over him but couldn't make out their faces

"To think he carried Neji all the way back with those kinds of injuries"

"Well if he hadn't he would have been a goner….I think we're losing him again, get someone in here quick!"

Naruto shot up from his hospital bed covered in sweat, looking around he saw that he was alone in the room, he tried to move some more but a searing pain shot up through his side causing him to double over

"Naruto!"

He managed to lift his throbbing head just enough to see Sakura running towards him

"Naruto you need to lay back do you understand me?"

He tried to respond but couldn't form the words; he just did his best to relax and forced himself back on his bed

"N-neji!" He finally managed

"Neji is fine" She replied sitting on the stool beside his bed, she dipped a rag that had been lying on the table next to him in a glass of water and began dabbing the sweat off his forehead

Naruto could barely make out her face but it appeared that she was crying. He wished he could comfort her somehow.

As he watched the tears roll down her cheeks he strained as much as he could to lift his hand to her face, she cradled his hand against her face with her own and cried

He could feel her body shake as she drew breath

"We almost lost you, you know…..for good…Naruto if you had left me…..I don't know what I'd do"

Her body shook again more violently this time and she laid her head beside him on his bed and began to sob.

With great effort he took his hand and gently placed it on the back of her neck

"Sakura-chan. I'm not going anywhere, you're stuck with me" He said shakily, he closed his eyes again as exhaustion washed over his body

The sound of footsteps aroused him from his sleep; he carefully lifted himself up scanning the room around him

Sakura was still by his bedside, fast asleep. And across the room he spotted Hinata and Lee who were also sleeping. A sudden shuffle of clothing beside him startled him

"S-Shino!" He clutched his chest "I didn't see you there"

"I'm used to it by now, is there anything you need? I can get it for you"

"No I'm fine….how long have you been here?"

"I have been coming and going lately as have most of us. Kiba, Choji, Ino, Shikamaru, Sai, the usual Sakura however has not left your side since we discovered you were here"

"How long ago was that?"

"About three days"

(_Sakura-chan…._)

"Naruto! You're awake" Lee bolted from his spot causing Hinata who had been leaning against him to nearly fall to the floor

"Naruto-kun!"

The combined commotion woke Sakura up as well "Naruto, how do you feel?"

"I'm not gonna lie, it's a little painful" he winced "But it could have been worse"

"Who did this to you?" Hinata asked

"That is something we intend to find out right now"

The five looked to the doorway to see Tsunade standing before them

"If you will excuse us everyone, Naruto and I have a report to go over"

No one in the room budged

"You're all going to insist to remain here aren't you?"

They nodded in unison

"Fine, Naruto please give me your report on your latest mission"

"Well it started out pretty routinely, the first week or so nothing happened, but after the tenth day rumors began spreading among the villagers that there were reports of nearby farms being attacked, I didn't think anything of it since I didn't receive any reports telling me the situation had changed"

"At that point there wouldn't have been any activity"

"No, there wasn't, members of the raiding parties were hiding among the villagers spreading rumors, I found that out from Neji, it was to frighten the villagers despite the presence of Konoha's protectors, it began to get wild…."

? ? * * * ? * * * *

_Naruto sat on a branch of the tallest tree on the outskirts of the small farming village, the spot he had chosen to use as his primary vantage point, it had a full view of the small town and was relatively quiet when the villagers were busy with their harvesting. Periodically he would send clones out around the village to gather information from the villagers, rumors they had heard or news that was circulation among the townsfolk. Other clones would disperse far from the village and act as scouts, relaying any abnormalities if they saw them. _

_Below he heard two female voices_

"_Where is he?"_

_"I don't know this is where I usually seem him come from, I was sure he'd be out here"_

_Naruto allowed himself to drop from his perch, using chakra stored in his feet to cling to the underside of the branch (what's going on here?)_

_"Ah I never would have thought Konoha ninja would be so cute!" one of the girls squealed_

"_Oh I know! But we have to stay focused; the village elder said he needed to see the shinobi right away"_

"_Hey I'm right here!" Naruto shouted still hanging upside down_

_"Oh Mr. Ninja! We didn't see you there! Please follow us!"_

_He did as he was asked and followed them back to the middle of the town where a large group of locals had gathered, the villagers gave him uncomfortable glares as he passed by _

"_I'm glad you've come" The elder said as Naruto seated himself on the floor "The word amongst the villagers is that other villages under Konoha's protection have been attacked and demolished, we would like assurance that we will not fall as the others have"_

_"I can promise you none of the other villages have been attacked, I would have been informed by my superiors by now"_

_"Would you?"_

_"You doubt that Konoha wants to ensure your protection"_

_"I believe that Konoha will protect us as long as we continue to supply them with rations, that is our agreement after all, but should Konoha consider that our protection was not worth the trouble any longer I assume they would send a…stooge like you to act as a placebo pill that would satiate the minds of the villagers, but when trouble really came you would either flee or die in the line of duty leaving us to be slaughtered"_

_Naruto ground his teeth "You must not have met many Konoha shinobi" _

"_I have met enough shinobi from plenty of villages to know how your leaders operate. After all why would your Hokage send a single ninja to guard an entire village?"_

_(What would Kakashi-sensei do in thie situation?)_

"_Well do you have anything to say?"_

_"No sir, if that is all I will return to my post"_

_Enraged by Naruto's blaze attitude the village leader cursed him as he ushered him out the door. _

_Ignoring the glares of the villagers once more Naruto headed directly back to his post and continued his reconnaissance_

_After a few more hours of peace and quiet the sun began to set. The peaceful atmosphere was interrupted by a low rumble coming from the village center; turning his attention to the noise he noticed a small flicker of light. _

_The light began to grow larger and the rumble began to increase in volume, Naruto saw the villagers tread through the village and approach his position. He judged from the casting of the shadows that the light was coming from the embers of multiple torches _

"_Oh great…that's just what I needed, a mob"_

_He leapt from his perch to confront the villagers face to face_

_As he did one of the men standing in the front of the crowd turned back to the rest_

_"This is the man who has been lying to us, we've all heard the stories of the other villages falling under attack, yet this continues to deny it"_

_A few faces nodded and there were a few audible cries from the crowd _

_Naruto remained silent allowing the ranting man to continue_

"_Konoha doesn't care about us and neither does this brat!"_

_The voices from inside the mob of people began to grow _

"_We're better off defending ourselves! I say we run this punk right out of town!"_

_The crowd began cheering and began to bear down on Naruto_

_Before he could say anything a large object landed with a hard thud between him and the angry villagers, when Naruto looked closer he realized it was a man, bound and gagged and roughed up a little bit but alive_

"_That man you're all rallying behind is lying to you" shouted someone from a nearby rooftop_

_Standing before them was Neji who quickly took his spot at Naruto's side_

"_This man is being paid to turn you all against your Konoha protectors so that their employer can ransack your villages once all the ninja are gone"_

_"How do you know?" someone shouted from the crowd_

"_Because this man here" He said holding up the bound bandit "Was attempting the same trick in another village close by, I soon realized that none of the other villagers recognized who he was and proceeded to interrogate him"_

_"Come to think of it" One of the villagers closest to the front said "I'm not sure I've seen this guy around before either" He pointed at the mob leader and from behind a few more villagers began to come to the same realization_

_Neji grabbed the man by the collar and lifted him off his feet "Now you're going to tell us where the raiders are and where we can find them"_

_"Why would I tell you anything? You can't do anything to me"_

_The two ninja chuckled "Oh we can" Naruto said "But I think we'd let these nice folks handle it for us"_

_The bandit looked back at the mob that he had created and saw that the majority of the folks were carrying farm tools like hammers and pitchforks. Those that weren't were at least carrying torches. A raggedy old woman nearby was fashioning up a rope into a noose with a wicked grin on her face_

"_No please! I can tell you everything I know" He begged "I don't know where the bandit leader is hiding, but I do know that he plans to attack this village first, I was supposed to have the Konoha shinobi out of the village by the seventh day"_

_"When was that?"_

_"Tomorrow"_

_The crowd gasped "What will we do?"_

_"We'll have to fortify the town as best as we can" Neji said_

_Naruto shook his head "No, we can't let these people get involved. We need to meet these raiders as far away from the village as we can" He looked back at the sniveling man that sat at his feet "Do you know which direction the raiders were going to approach from?"_

_"Y-yes I actually do! They were going to come through the forest on the south side of the village. That is where I was supposed to meet the bandit leader to receive my payment"_

_"Good then you can be our guide through the woods"  
><em>

_Neji and Naruto silently waited among the treetops as their captive acted as bait for the coming bandits_

_"he looks too nervous, they'll never buy this guise"_

_"Don't be so pessimistic Neji, we only need him to distract them for a little while, my clones will do the rest"_

_Naruto had strategically placed a few dozen clones among the forest, they were lying in wait for their signal._

_The group didn't have to wait much longer, the shadows of the forest began to shift revealing 20 or so shady figures that emerged from the thicket and descended upon the the greasy man Neji and Naruto had captured_

_A burly and bald mustachioed man stepped to the front of the group  
>"Toro, have you completed your assignment?"<em>

_"Y-yes sir! Now if I may take my payment now I will just be out of your way" his eyes quickly darted to the tree where Naruto and Neji sat_

_"Damn he's going to give us away" Neji whispered balling his fist_

_"Toro what are You looking at?" the mustachioed man inquired_

_"I Uh- thought I heard a noise"_

_"From in the trees? Let's find out shall we?" he pulled a crossbow from his back and aimed it at the spot where Neji and Naruto were hiding_

_"Guess we better act now" Naruto chucked a smoke ball into the crowd below engulfing them in a shroud of thick smog signaling the clones to leave their perches and restrain the raiders_

_When the smoke finally cleared Neji and Naruto stood before the group of men who were unable to break from the grips of Naruto's clones_

_"Toro you rat! You betrayed us" the raiders leader shouted_

_"surrender to us peacefully and no one will be harmed" Neji said calmly "we will take all of you into Konoha's custody"_

_A short cackle snuck out through the mass of restricted bodies, making the raiders leader whip his head around_

_"Kiki this is no laughing matter" he shouted at the single female in their presence_

_"maybe not for you, but there isn't a single Konoha ninja that can keep me contained" She began to cackle again, this time much louder_

_"My master made me especially to kill you Konoha, and I finally get my chance to make him proud"_

_"Kiki what on earth are you blabbering about, shut your mouth before you only make things worse!"_

_She looked up at her boss revealing a pair of sadistic looking yellow eyes just barely peaking through a tassel of jet black hair_

_"for all of you things are as bad as they can get" She unleashed a final high pitched screech before hundreds of fleshy needles erupted from her body, narrowly missing Neji and Naruto, impaling all the men around her causing the clones to disappear._

_The girl retracted her needles and gave a sick moan of pleasure that made Naruto's hair stand on its end. Looking around he noticed not even their captive had escaped the gruesome fate as Naruto saw him laying in a pile at the girls feet_

_"Who are you?" Neji demanded_

"_You heard the man, I'm Kiki" She said playfully, then her voice became much more sinister "I'm a Shinobi hunter; I've been designed specifically to kill Konoha ninja"_

"_What do you mean designed?"_

_She cackled again "I was born like any other person, but I was chosen by my master to become so much more than a normal human. I was granted a beautiful gift by my master to help fulfill his dream and kill all the worlds' shinobi"__  
><em>

_Neji was prepared to make further inquisitions but was interrupted by Naruto_

"_What gives you the right to kill all those people?" He voice shook with anger _

"_I have to kill filth that are not worthy to be in my presence, it sickens me to be around them"_

_"Don't toy with me; you're no better than anyone else. Those men didn't deserve to die at your hand"_

_She seemed to grow bored by his words and nonchalantly waved her hand around in the air "lowly ninja like you would never understand what it means to be truly better than a common man, to be truly beautiful like me"_

_She ran forward at Neji and Naruto raising both hands above her head, the two ninja prepared to block her blows but were caught off guard by the needles that appeared from her stomach that were positioned right at them. Neji managed to dodge the attack unscathed by Naruto was glanced on his left side, making a few tiny cuts_

"_Naruto we have to be extra careful, she can make those needles appear from anywhere"_

_"Right" He winced "Crazy bitch"_

_She looked between the two of them deciding which one she would attack first, finally deciding on Naruto stretching out her hand she launched one single but very large needle at the blonde, missing him by inches as he darted from the tree back onto the ground trying to take advantage of the opening she'd left at her side._

_She was prepared however and used the needle on her hand to catch him across the head like a paddle and knocked him off his feet momentarily_

_Next Neji made his move, while she was distracted with his fellow ninja he snuck up behind attempted to strike her with his 8 trigram fist._

_He nearly reached his opponent when she caught him in mid stance and unleashed two more needles from her back, nearly impaling him on her flesh spikes_

_(Damn how can I get in close enough to combat her? Naruto may have to attack her with some medium range attacks, but that could still leave him open to her counter if he fails to make contact and I don't think he has any long range techniques)_

_Naruto began forming some hand signals while Kiki was focused on Neji "Fire Release: Phoenix Flame" the fire jutsu scorched the earth before striking their female opponent, making her scream as she shook the flames off her body_

"_She's not good at defending jutsu! Naruto keep it up!"_

_He was about to begin another fire attack but Kiki forced a new set of needles from her skin firing them at Neji and Naruto making them dodge the attack and breaking Naruto's concentration_

_Naruto landed kneeling and he went to his next attempt at a jutsu but again the girl fired her needles at him, this time her aim was a little off and he didn't need to do anymore than shift his body weight using his hand to stabilize himself, but needed to retreat when Kiki charged him with her arms covered in spikes, swatting at the blonde ninja trying to land any blow she could_

_(She's getting angry and it's making her lose focus)_

_Neji attempted another attack from behind while she was zeroed in on Naruto, landing one large blow on her shoulder blade forcing her to spin then proceeding to use the 8 trigrams 64 palms technique, swiftly jabbing at her chakra points trying to immobilize her ability to fight back_

_He landed the final blow sending the girl flat on her back in the loamy forest dirt. Naruto landed beside him "Good job Neji"_

_"You'll have to hit me harder than that Shinobi" She spat lifting herself off the ground _

"_Don't even try to attack, I've sealed your chakra points with my technique, you're unable to continue this fight" _

_Her high pitched cackle could be heard across the forest "Chakra points? Who cares? My needles don't need chakra to work. My master has made it so these needles are part of my skin; they are a part of me. They are not manifested by chakra"_

_To prove her point she produced two large spikes and shoved them in the direction of the Konoha ninja_

_Neji leapt out of harms way but Naruto stood his ground_

"_Naruto watch out!"_

_"FOOL!" Kiki cried in delight as she watched the spikes approach his unguarded body_

_Just as the spikes were about to make contact the needles stopped and Neji and Kiki both gasped_

_Standing behind Kiki was a large serpent-like lizard covered from head to toe in the forest muck gripping the girl's needles and using every ounce of strength it had to keep them from moving any further_

"_What is this disgusting creature" the girl shrieked_

"_That's my Earth Release: Mud Dragon technique"_

_"When did you create this jutsu"_

_"When I last had an opening, right after you put out my fire jutsu. I need to make contact with the ground in order to release the power"_

_"And when you dodged my projectiles earlier you released the chakra into the dirt creating this beast"_

"_That's right" He snapped his fingers and the dragon gave a loud roar, gripping her needles tighter and ripping them from her hands making her scream in pain as he left nothing but two bloodied palms_

_Kiki attempted to remove the dragon by forcing spikes through her back into the muddy salamander but they had no effect, they sliced right through the mud but the dragon didn't even seem fazed_

_"The dragon has no vitals, it's not a living creature or a summoned companion, its a jutsu, it's all mud"_

_She tried to struggle but could not break the dragon's grip, furious she began stamping her feet and screamed at the two ninja at the top of her lungs_

"_Are you ready to give up now?" Neji asked as he approached from behind Naruto_

_"Never!" She shouted and stamped her foot one last time as she did Naruto felt something warm splash across his face. He turned to see that a spike had come up through the soft dirt and pierced Neji through the back, coming out all the way through his chest. He was coughing up blood and his body shook as he fell to his knees then smacked the soft ground with a soft thud as his entire body collapsed_

"_NEJI!" Naruto shouted attempting to aid his companion _

_Kiki took advantage of Naruto's break in concentration and finally escaped the grips of the dragon who chased her down as she ran towards Naruto_

_The leaf shinobi furiously began searching through his jacket for his medical supplies trying to patch the bleeding hole the needle had left behind, luckily it was small but Neji was still losing a lot of blood_

_He had completely forgotten about his opponent and by the time his brain had come out of shock long enough to remind him it was too late, his swiveled his head around just in time to see the crazed woman raise a spike out of her arm high and prepare to strike down her enemy. With a satisfied "HAH!" she brought down all her fury in one last attack and plunged her needle into Naruto_

_Naruto shielded Neji's body as best as he could sacrificing his own side in the process. Grabbing the needle he held on as best as he could essentially keeping her nailed to the ground _

"_Let go! I demand you let me go right now!"_

_"Too late" He smirked_

_She stood completely still as she felt the cold claw of the mud dragon drive through her stomach, retreating her spike from Naruto's body she slumped to the ground a look of absolute disbelief across her face_

"_How….how could a low life….insect like you beat me?"_

_Naruto didn't even give her a second look, he just continued to wrap Neji's wound keeping pressure on the puncture wound while the dragon slowly swallowed its prey, once it had completely engorged itself on Kiki it began to dissolve into sand, breaking everything inside of it into tiny sand particles before blowing away in the wind_

"_We did it Neji" Naruto groaned as he lifted his companion onto his back "Mission accomplished"_

_He looked at his surroundings and found the quickest way out of the forest "I can't believe how far we ran during that fight" He said to his unconscious friend "We're actually closer to Konoha then we are the farms_

"And from there I just made my way to the Konoha gates and then I went to the hospital and then you asked me about my mission and that's about it" Naruto concluded

Tsunade shook her head "So Kiki never mentioned who her 'master' was?"

"No, forgive me Hokage I know I should have brought her in for interrogation but-"

"Don't apologize Naruto, because of you one of our best Shinobi is still alive, albeit he may be out of commission for some time, but nevertheless you have successfully protected the village as were your orders, you did it without harming any of the villagers, and you have identified a viable threat to the people of the Shinobi Alliance, consider the mission a success"

"Well there is one thing I may need to clear just one small thing up" He said sheepishly

"What is that?"

"Well when I said I calmly left the room of the village elder like Kakashi-sensei would have done, I was lying"

"Naruto…what really happened?"

"Well it's no big deal but I may have pulled a small prank"

"Which is?"

"I covered his house with flaming bags of manure"

Tsunade began rolling back her sleeves like she was going to deck him but Sakura held her back reminding her what critical condition Naruto was already in. Instead the Hokage poked him very sharply in his wounded side making him squeal before passing out

"Hokage-sama!" Sakura shouted following the Sannin as she marched out the door "She took one look back at Lee and Hinata before leaving "Take care of him please while I talk with Tsunade"

She hustled her way down the hall but had already lost the Hokage. She began making her way back to Naruto's room but found Shino standing in the doorway

"Shino, is there something I can do for you?"

"You still care very much for Naruto don't you?"

"Well of course, he's my closest friend"

"That's not what I mean. You love him don't you? That's why you would refuse to leave his bedside despite your own need for sleep, food….maybe a bath"

"You got something to say to me Shino?"

"No but I believe YOU have something to say to Naruto"

"Look, Hinata's his girlfriend, not me. And he seems happy with that"

"You still have managed to avoid my original question, do you love him?"

"Look Shino I don't have time for this" She began to walk away in frustration but his next words made her body lock up

"He rejected you didn't he?"

She didn't say a word; she just hung her head and stared at the tile floor beneath her feet

"Have you even considered why?"

"N-No"

"Well maybe it's something to think about. I can tell you Naruto has not stopped loving you, I'm good with these things"

"I find that hard to believe"

"Fine, make jokes, continue to ignore your feelings and his, it will come up on its own eventually and maybe when you're forced to face it you will manage the situation properly"

He slunk out of the hallway into the far end of the corridor before disappearing around a corner

As she stood there alone in the hallway watching Hinata nurse a bandaged and bloodied Naruto a pang of jealousy struck her gut and a feeling of nausea began to creep in. Then the words exchanged between her and Sasuke rang through her head _(__"I wouldn't hurt him, I couldn't" "You could, you've done it before"__"I'm not even sure he feels the same way anymore" "Well if I had to be honest, for his sake I hope you're right")_

She punched the nearest wall leaving a small bowling ball sized hole behind (_Damn it!_)


	19. Back on his Feet

_Hi Everybody! Still reading? Good! If not you've hurt my feelings and have no idea. Yes time skips will begin to become more frequent, I would like to focus on the important parts of Naruto's life and not do a day by day thing cuz that would be boring, I know you guys are ok with it though. Next chapter begins now! Enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 19: Back on his feet

"Oh it's good to be out of there" Naruto stretched his arms to the sky as he took a breath of fresh air for the first time in almost two weeks

"Are you sure you should be out and about so soon? Maybe a few more days under Sakura's care would be good for you" Hinata said as Naruto stretched out his legs

"Nah Hinata you heard the doctors, I'm fine, you know how quickly I heal" He slipped his arm around her waist and began walking with her through town

"Just promise me you won't be taking on any missions anytime soon"

"Well if Granny assigns me one I don't really have a choice do I?"

"I guess not, just don't go volunteering yourself if someone else can do it"

"That is something I can promise you"

"Thank you Naruto-Kun" she pulled him close to her and rewarded him with a very passionate kiss. Something the two had been able to do while Naruto was in the hospital, he had so many visitors coming in and out and she preferred for the moment to be a little more private with their relationship

"Now we should celebrate your release tonight"

"I don't think I'm quite ready for any parties Hinata"

"good, I don't intend to throw a party. I was thinking I'd make dinner for both of us"

"Really? You're gonna cook for me? This is turning out to be a pretty good day"

The couple continued on through the town until a gray haired ninja appeared before them

"Kakashi-sensei" Naruto exclaimed "What are you doing here?"

The older ninja gave him a short grin, or at least what Naruto assumed was a grin, his face seemed to lift and his only visible eye closed

"Tsunade-sama has asked for us to meet her today, she has some very important news to share with us"

Naruto looked at Hinata who gave him a slight nod "You should go, you don't want to keep the Hokage waiting. I'll just be at your place if you need me" She bowed to Kakashi and waved goodbye to the two

Naruto followed Kakashi to the Hokage residence, as they approached he saw two younger ninja standing by the entrance

"Konohamaru, Sugi, glad you're both here already"

"You're late Kakashi-sensei" Konohamaru complained

"well I had to wait on Naruto, he was taking awhile in his goodbye with Hinata"

"don't try to dump this on me"

"anyways it doesn't matter who is late, we have a meeting with the Hokage"

They strolled through the large complex and found Sakura standing outside the Hokage's office

"Lady Tsunade is engaged in another meeting, she will be with you shortly"

The foursome only had to wait a few moments before Tsunade opened the hallway doors with Udon walking out from her office

"Thank you Udon, I will be sure to let Iruka know of your application, he will be very appreciative I'm sure."

"Hey Udon! What are you doing with the Hokage?" Konohamaru asked

"Oh just giving her a proposal on my future position within the village" he calmly said while adjusting his glasses "I should really be going now though, I want to tell Chiyo all about it" His face turned red at the mention of his team mates name and he scampered out the hallway

"I think he's finally becoming a little more confident" Komohamaru said proudly

He followed Sakura and the rest of Kakashi's team into Tsunade's office

"this is the team you've assembled?"

"yes Hokage-sama"

"Very well, straight to business. As you may know we've been receiving Anonymous tips from across the five nations about Shinobi with uncanny abilities, much like the girl Naruto and Neji found outside the villages borders. We have sent squads to investigate these rumors, and so far our efforts have proved fruitless."

"So what do you want from us Granny"

"well unfortunately one of the ANBU squads I sent to the Village Hidden in Ash has gone missing, we have gone almost 3 days without a single word, troubling seeing as we typically hear from this particular a few times every couple days."

"And you believe they may have stumbled upon something?"

"Or they've been taken out, these individuals like all ANBU are very professional, they would not allow themselves to be captured. So either way I want you to find out why this team has gone silent. Now you have all been recommended by Kakashi, not yet assigned by me, is there any of you who do not think you can participate in this mission?"

"Well-"

"Hmm? Naruto? You're the last one I expected to hear from" She said apparently quite startled

"Don't get me wrong, I am grateful both you and Kakashi-sensei think I can help with this mission, it's just….I promised someone I would try to take it easy for a while, I mean I did get out of the hospital"

"Understood" She and Kakashi did seem a little disappointed but also appeared sympathetic. Then Tsunade let out a sigh "I was hoping you would have been a part of this mission, you may have had a little more emotional motivation than the others to see it completed successfully" 

Sakura winced at her masters words (_The Hokage wouldn't sink so low as to guilt Naruto into this mission would she?_)

"Why is that?"

"Well one of your former team mates was a member of this particular squad. Naruto I'm afraid your friend Sai is one of the members who has gone missing"

(_Sai's gone missing? Maybe he and I were never terribly close but he did try his best to act as my friend. He helped me find Sasuke, warned me that Sakura was going to try and kill Sasuke. He…he even brought me home._)

A pang of guilt struck Naruto "I'm going to make sure to repay the favor" He said under his breath

"Naruto did you say something?" Kakashi asked

"I'm going on the mission. I can't sit by while a comrade is in trouble" (_Although I don't know what I'm going to tell Hinata, she is not going to be happy with me_)

"It's settled then. This is a top secret mission; no one outside this room is to know about it. Is that understood?"

She looked from Kakashi to the three Chunin to her assistant

"Yes Hokage-sama" They all announced in unison

"Good, you leave at midnight, make sure you're thoroughly prepared"

The group dismissed themselves and began to exit the office. As Naruto was leaving the room Sakura grabbed his arm

"Naruto, you don't have to do this mission. Please tell Lady Tsunade you need more time to rest"

"I can't do that Sakura-chan"

"Why not?"

"Sai came all the way out to make sure I finally made it home. I'm going to say I was able to do the same"

She watched helplessly as Naruto tugged his arm out of her grip and left the premises. Furious at his stubbornness she turned her anger out on her master

"That was a dirty trick you pulled Tsunade-sama"

"What do you mean Sakura?"

"You knew you could convince Naruto to go on any mission as long as a friend of his was in danger and you exploited that to ensure you could get him to go on this mission. He needs to take a break! He's just now recovered from his last encounter with one of those abnormal shinobi, why would you send him to possibly face another one"

"Because Naruto is the most adaptable Shinobi in the village. To break it down for you he has the best chance and surviving any encounter with these abnormal ninja because he can turn the situation over in his favor better than any other ninja in this village can."

"He should still have a say if he wants to go or not" Sakura fumed

"He did, and he chose to go"

"No he didn't, not in his mind. As far as he's concerned his safety is the last priority when it comes to friend, the only choice for him was to go. You know that as well as I do"

"My decision is final Sakura" The old woman's demeanor softened a bit "I know you want to ensure he will always be safe but you have to realize that if we want to do our best to protect the village he will have to put himself in danger, he's the best chance we have at keeping our way of life the way it is, and he's going to do it to the best of his abilities. It-"

"I know, it's who he is, he's our hero" She choked on the last words of her sentence and covered her face "Please excuse me Lady Tsunade"

"Of course"

_Back at Naruto's home_

Naruto had just finished breaking the news to his girlfriend about his newest assignment

"What?" Already? B-but Kakashi said you just needed to speak with her. To gather information or something"

"I know but it turns out it was more than that"

"When do you leave?"

"I leave at midnight, we still have some time to spend together. We can still have dinner like you planned and we should just make the best of what we got"

"Did she at least give you an option to stay? Isn't there anyone else who can go?"

"No" He lied

"That's so unfair Naruto-kun, for her to put that burden on you like that"

"No Hinata, it's what I have to do." He hugged her trying to comfort her "It's not Granny's fault I'm the best ninja in the village"

She tried to express some joy when she let a laugh escape her lips but she knew it was full of grief "You really are the best aren't you?"

"Now like I said, let's make the best of this evening"

Hinata prepared dinner for the both of them like she promised, but neither was really in the mood to eat, they swallowed down the few bits of rice and vegetables that they could and then Hinata stored the rest in the refrigerator. The two spent the rest of their time lying on his bed in silence, Hinata laid her head across his chest listening to his heart beat and feeling his chest rise as he drew breath, Naruto listened for the moments when Hinata's frustration got the better of her and she gave short snorts through her nose rather than speak her mind and speak ill of the Hokage.

When the clock struck 10:30 Hinata slowly lifted herself off of him and made the way to his door as he began to change into his flak jacket and shinobi uniform

"Please come see me as soon as you get home" She whispered to him as she kissed him goodbye

"I will" He finished tying his leaf headband to his forhead and embraced her one last time before the two parted ways. He took off on the rooftops heading for the village entrance. Hinata watched from a distance as he made his way out of town

"Be careful Naruto-kun" She intended to make her way home but instead found the closest bench and after seating herself laid her head in her arms and began to softly cry trying her best not to think that Naruto would return to her once more bloodied and bandaged only to take off again on his next dangerous adventure "Please be safe, for God's sake Naruto-kun" She cried "Please be safe"

Naruto reached the gates of Konoha and found he was the first one there "Guess all the others are on their way…except probably Kakashi-sensei"

"Naruto!"

He spun around to see Sakura standing beneath the moonlight before him, she appeared to be crying but he couldn't really tell

"Sakura-chan?"

She slowly approached her friend heart pounding in her chest

"Sakura-chan are you ok?"

She dashed forward thrusting herself into his arms forcing him to catch her then pulled him deep emotional kiss

At first he wanted to break away, something in his brain told him to stop, but he found that he couldn't stop. He began to push back wrapping his arms around Sakura and forcing her back against the nearby wall. He felt her lift up her left leg and nibble on his lower lip letting him know she wanted more.

Slowly he made his way down to her neck making her groan and tug at his hair. He was beginning to get excited and returned to kissing her, finally he felt something warm stream down her cheek, now he was certain she as crying, breaking away he brought her face up to his to get a good look at her

"Naruto what's wrong?" She asked trying to push her way back

"I was about to ask you the same thing"

"Naruto…I just….." before she could finish a noise came from behind spooking her off back into the village

"Sakura-chan?" He was about to chase after her when Konohamaru landed beside him

"Niichan what are you doing here so early?"

"I uh, well I don't really know"

Sakura made her way back through the village trying to rationalize what had just occurred "Something just came over me and then Naruto just….he just kissed back" her heart fluttered a little at the thought "He kissed me back" She wiped the lone tear that was still hanging from her cheek "He does still have feelings for me"

She was about to revel in her new discovery when she heard the sounds of someone crying nearby, following the sounds of the sobs she made her way around until she found Hinata sitting alone on a bench

"Hinata? Are you ok?"

The Hyuuga's head shot up but relaxed when she saw her friend standing beside her

"Oh Sakura" She wiped her face off on her sleeve "I'm really glad you're here, do you think we could talk? I've just got so much on my mind right now, I'm really worried about Naruto-kun and I don't know what to do"

The mention of Naruto from his girlfriend brought her back down to Earth and nearly sick to her stomach

"Hinata I'm not sure I-"

"Please Sakura I really need a friend right now"

Sakura sat herself next to Hinata "Let me know what's bothering you"


	20. Konoha under attack

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 20: Konoha under attack

Sakura was trying her best to console her distraught friend. They had made their way from the cold stone bench outside to Sakura's apartment. She had begun to listen to Hinata talk but kept fading out. She really wanted to say something to ease her worried mind about Naruto. The trouble was she couldn't stop thinking about the incident that had occurred before she stumbled upon her friend.

Her mind kept wandering back to the feel of Naruto's lips pressed against hers, how softly he had held her as the two made their first real romantic connection, the thought of lips brushing lightly against her neck took her breath away, and she would have to indiscriminately fan herself off as heat would begin to rush to her face

(Ugh what should I do?) she thought as she watched Hinata's lips move up and down but unable to fully comprehend the sounds that were emitted from them (She keeps speaking to me and I haven't said one word! All I can do is nod, OK focus Sakura, next time she says something just give her any kind of reply to let her know you're paying attention...Oh God what is she talking about?)

"I wish I could be stronger like you Sakura" Hinata said through a sniffle "you always have so much confidence in Naruto-kun, it's like your never even worried when he's gone"

"I worry" Sakura said a little more truthfully than she intended "I worry constantly. I worry he'll show up bruised and mangled, or warped by some traumatic experience...or worse he won't return to me at all" She paused and allowed her chest to swell before continuing "But I have faith in him, I have faith that he will come home, stronger than ever like he has so many times before, and that faith helps me to go on, to be stronger myself, to be a better person than I was the day before..."

She looked at her friend who was no longer sobbing, but smiling "Sakura...I know just what you mean" she wiped her eyes and allowed a small laugh to escape "I feel so silly now for worrying about Naruto-kun's safety. He does always come back somehow stronger than before. I will do better to remember that and have more faith in him like you do." she flung her arms around her friend "I've been so silly, thank you for your kind words Sakura, you really put my mind at ease"

As she returned the hug she told Hinata she was welcome, but all that ran through her mind was how crummy a friend she actually was. Although she certainly couldn't just scream out "I made out with your boyfriend!" so shortly after brightening her spirits

As Hinata walked out Sakura saw Ino approaching the door, the two exchanged greetings and a short catch up conversation before Hinata left and Sakura walked into Sakura's apartment

"By all means come in" Sakura said sarcastically collapsing backwards into the couch

"Well what's got you so grumpy?"

Sakura was silent for a second "I was gonna ask you if you could keep a secret but that would be pointless, we both know you can't"

The blonde placed her hands on her hips "Hey now I keep secrets all the time"

"Only for a short period of time, whatever I guess I need to tell someone and absolutely couldn't tell Hinata"

"Really? You have my full attention!" Her friend said excitedly sitting on the couch next to her

"I…may have kissed Naruto" Sakura mumbled

"Wait….say that again, I thought I heard you wrong"

"I kissed Naruto!" She said louder practically yelling at the girl next to her

"Kissed like a friend kiss?"

"No" Sakura buried her face in a nearby pillow out of shame

"So did he kiss you back?"

The pink haired ninja just nodded into the pillow

"Was there…..you know any…..touching?"

Sakura lifted her head and bit her lip hard "A little"

"Wow! Where? Was it naughty? Wait I'm getting ahead of myself, I know it was! So this could have led to….you know something right?"

"No! Well maybe, I don't know, he was leaving on a mission so….."

"If he didn't have to leave, was this the kind moment that would have led to something sexual?"

"I think he would have stopped himself for Hinata's sake, we both know he's not like that. He's too principled"

"But if it had led to something were you gonna go through with it?"

"Ino just stop asking questions, I really don't know. It was a spur of the moment just totally unexpected event, I swear I didn't intend to kiss him. I just went to see him to say goodbye and then when I saw him I just melted and all my inhibitions went away and I kissed him"

"Well, was it good?"

Sakura blushed and hit her friend with the pillow still in her hands "Why do you care?"

"I'm just a girl that's very into details that's all" Ino's smile was a little perverted

"Spare me"

"So did you guys talk about it afterwards?"

"No I heard someone coming and I got spooked and then I saw Hinata and she was crying and I haven't even had time to fully process everything that just happened tonight. It's all too much"

A loud boom from somewhere outside made both girls leap to their feet and dash out the door

"Any idea what that was?"

"I'm hoping it's something standard like a genin trying to cast a jutsu he can't really control or maybe Lee accidentally drank some Sake again"

(Across town)

Hinata had just stumbled upon two of her students Yoshi and Correia fighting once again on her way home

"I'm very disappointed in both of you!" She scolded waving her finger "You're both Chunin now and you should act accordingly, scuffling in the middle of the night while the village is so unguarded is not how you should be behaving."

"Sorry Hinata-sensei" They both said, though only Yoshi's seemed sincere as Correia's came with a roll of his eyes.

Correia casually slid his fingers through his blonde Mohawk "That's what I tried to tell this idiot over here but he insisted on challenging me, said he had developed some 'new technique' that he would defeat me with" He mockingly stuck his tongue out at his team mate and laughed

Hinata was about to tell Yoshi off when a loud sound erupted from somewhere nearby causing her ears to ring and her vision to go blurry. When she returned to normal she checked on her former students, they were both standing but obviously as startled as she was.

"Oh dear I seem to have made a bit of a commotion" A high pitched male voice echoed from nearby

The three ninja found themselves face to face with a man wrapped from head to waist in bandages exposing only two eyes and his forearms. Everything below his waist but the groin area was bare and completely shaved and there was a musky stench coming from him, as if he were molding or at least the bandages were

"Not a smart move attacking Konoha village" Correia smirked "Don't you know this is the home to the most powerful ninja in the five great nations?"

"Judging by your tone I guess you assume yourself to be the most powerful don't you? Ugh how arrogant." The bandaged man sped forward reaching out for Correia but the Chunin easily dodged his attack, he prepared to counterattack but found himself being struck on the side of the head by a surprisingly strong kick. This sent the Chunin into a cartwheel across the pavement finally halting when he was caught by a large long haired shinobi

"Thank you Choji-sama" Correia said much more sincere than when he spoke to his sensei

The Akimichi clan member was escorted by two other ninja Chiyo and Udon and rushing from behind them Hinata saw Ino and Sakura rushing to their aid as well

"Well how delightful, look at all the leaf shinobi" The bandaged man clapped mockingly "How will I ever manage to defeat all of you? In a one on eight match I don't believe I stand a chance….but should we divide the numbers evenly…"

His eyes shone with glee as a loud cracking noise came from his spinal cord. The Leaf ninja looked on in disgust as his body contorted into an odd oblong shape then began to separate as the sound of tearing flesh completed the nauseating ensemble. Knowing they couldn't take their eyes off of their enemy the eight ninja watched in horror as seven identical copies of the bandaged man split out from their host who began to regenerate the skin that had been lost from creating his copies.

"It's my Starfish jutsu!" He said proudly "Isn't it glorious! As long as I separate a part of my body with a part of my vertebrae I can create multiple fully functional copies of myself and remain in tact"

"That's disgusting" Ino blanched "This has to be another one of the ABOMINATIONS Lady Tsunade was talking about"

The four bandaged ninja all set their eyes directly on Ino "Did you call me an abomination? I have a name you wench! If you must address me then call me Aito!"

With the blink of an eye one of the copies was upon her, his hand glowing blue with chakra and he swiped vertically at her midsection. She barely had time to try and dodge still managing to get sliced by the tip of the attack, tumbling backwards into Sakura's arms. Choji stepped in front of them to shield the two women from their attacker

"That technique, he's using medical jutsu to turn his hand into a scalpel" Sakura warned the others, do your best to avoid his hands!" She turned to Ino and began trying to heal her wound; luckily it was only long and not deep

"Well I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed, that was hard at all, I hope the rest of you are stronger than her" He pointed to the wounded Ino "But sometimes you can't always get what you want, maybe three is too many if I want to get a good workout out of you Konoha ninja." As he finished his sentence one of the copies took off from the battlefield

"Udon, Chiyo follow him" Choji commanded

"Right!" The two ninja immediately pursued the mummy-like intruder making sure to keep him in sight

"Now that won't do, I made a certain number of copies for a reason" Two more bandaged figures took off, leaving only five to face off against the uninjured Konoha ninja

"I guess this will just have to do" The bandaged man said morosely

The five remaining abominations attacked the four ninja that stood in their way, Choji took on two still protecting Sakura and Ino, while Correia, Yoshi and Hinata all faced off in one on one battles. Though they were not up to the same speed as they had been when Ino was attacked

"I think splitting into different bodies divides the abilities of the original!" Yoshi shouted as he avoided a jab to the temple and countered with his Chili Breath technique

"I think most of us figured that out already" Correia teased going on the offensive with a kunai nearly nicking the abdomen of his combatant

As Choji avoided the razor sharp chakra scalpels of his two opponents he looked out for anywhere he could gain the upper hand, (_There it is!_) using his Partial Multi-Size technique he clobbered the nearest Aito right in the gut unaware that the second was attempting to exploit an opening of its own. Just as he was about to strike Choji's unprotected back he was pummeled by Sakura and Ino simultaneously sending him sprawling to the ground in a pathetic heap

"Thanks girls" Choji said slapping his own foe hard across the face before tossing him aside "He's much more manageable when he's split up like this, I think Udon and Chiyo will be just fine"

However Udon and Chiyo were having a very difficult time keeping up with their target while their pursuers were free to try and attack them from behind.

"This is ridiculous" Chiyo screamed furiously as she narrowly avoided being stabbed in the face by one of the two pursuing Aito's

"We should split up" Udon suggested "I'll stay behind while you follow the first one"

Chiyo was about to separate herself from them when she was caught mid-air and tackled to the ground

"I've got you little girl" the Aito shrieked delightedly as he was readying his arm to strike the pinned Chiyo his double was flung into him launching them both safely away from the blue haired girl

Udon saw Lee standing on the roof beside them ready for combat "Are you alright Chiyo?"

"Yes cousin" She said happily taking point beside him "Thank you for the help. Udon, Lee and I will handle things here, don't lose sight of that creep!"

"Right" He sprinted forward trying best to gauge where Aito may have run off to

"Are you ready cousin? Let us perform the Double Hurricane Fire Spirit Swirling Death Kick!" the two cousins began to swell with pride at the thought of being able to perform their patented taijutsu combo

"We've never attempted that move on a moving target before Lee; I am ready to burst with excitement!"

As Udon got further away from the rooftop where his friends battled on he heard a frightening crash, looking back he saw the entire building they had just been standing on begin to crumble

"Boy I hope Lee and Chiyo weren't responsible for that, they're gonna have a lot of explaining to do later" His focus returned to the objective at hand and after minutes of scouring the rooftops he spotted his target

"He's headed for the Hokage! I have to hurry!"

He saw Aito enter the front door of the Hokage's residence "There's no way I can beat him to her office if I take the stairs, I'll have to come in another way. I hope she won't get too mad at me if I break her window. He jumped from the ledge he was standing on and covering his face with his hands, crashed through the nearest window of the Hokage's office. Catching her quite off-guard

"Udon! What is the meaning of this?"

Before he had time to explain Aito appeared in the doorway eyeing Udon with great distaste "Persistent little bastard aren't you?"

"I'm not gonna let you lay a hand on the Hokage!" He shouted as he began to weave a jutsu "Water Release: Cannonball!" his water attack thrust his body forward at Aito

Right as Udon was about to collide with his foe, Aito ripped him right out of his own attack holding him high in the air by the collar

"Udon!" Tsunade prepared herself to rescue the Chunin but Aito motioned his chakra scalpel at Udon's neck

"Ah-ah-ah Hokage! You make any sudden movement and this one loses his head."

She stopped dead in her tracks

"Now that I have your attention I should tell you what I'm doing here. My master is aware of your manhunt for him and his masterpieces"

"So there are more of you abominations" She cringed

"There's that word again, watch you mouth in front of me Hokage, I've been known to have an itchy trigger finger" He gave Udon's neck a slight brushing causing just a little blood to trickle down "My master demands you bring your search parties home, he is a very busy man and your ANBU are causing him a lot of grief"

"Suppose I don't call them off?"

Aito ripped the bandages from his face revealing his grey skin and what was his most appalling feature was the lack of half a lower jaw where his tongue hung loosely.

"If you don't call them off" He squealed "Many more of your precious shinobi will end up like this poor lad"

Tsunade's eyes went wide as she watched Aito carve his chakra scalpel from one end of Udon's exposed neck to the other letting his body fall limply to the ground before taking off past the frantic Hokage who knelt down beside the dying Udon.

As she desperately tried to use any healing technique she could to save his life she knew there was no hope, his jugular had been severed and within seconds his life was extinguished

Sullen she watched over the Chunin, barely aware that Lee and Chiyo had arrived and Chiyo was scrambling to her fallen comrade's side

Lee stood by the Hidden Leaf village leader "Hokage-sama are you ok? Which way did that bandaged man go? I will bring him back to pay for his crimes"

"Lee….please do not pursue him…gather the others to my office, we have a lot to discuss."


	21. It's a Trick!

_Woo! Took the day off work, listening to the Nintendo music played by an orchestra, just got done playing Donkey Kong Country on my SNES, it's a good day. Thanks to all of you who are still reading, wouldn't mind a few more reviews to get a sense of how you think the story is going. But until then I DO WHAT I WANT! Lol enjoy_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 21: It's a Trick!

Naruto could not take his mind off the events that had occurred the night before. He kept replaying the kiss with Sakura over and over in his mind, it had him so occupied he didn't even realize that Team Kakashi had reached the Village Hidden in Ash. Finally coming to he dropped from the treetops and landed beside his sensei

"Is everything alright Naruto?" Kakashi asked "You seem to be distracted"

"I'm just trying to focus on the mission is all" He said which was completely untrue

"Understandable, but please pay attention, when we enter the village the air will be highly congested with dust particles from the Volcano" He pointed at the large mountain that overshadowed the village before them "We must make sure to keep our mouths and noses completely covered to prevent inhaling any of the ash. Though the local villagers might be used to it, our lungs couldn't handle it"

The three younger ninja did as Kakashi suggested

"What do you think happened to the ANBU Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked

"I'm not sure, but if the ANBU really disappeared without so much as a warning it can't be good. Still we should look for...remains, they are trained to use a special jutsu so as not to leave behind any information, perhaps they simply didn't have time to send their final report"

"Any chance their reports could just be getting intercepted?"

"A good thought Sugi, but it's possible but unlikely. Still we've conversed enough, let's go"

They silently made their way into the village, covering their faces as they were instructed, Konohamaru noticed that none of the locals were doing the same

"Kakashi-sensei, how can these villagers breath in all this ash?"

"It's a technique that's been passed on from generation to generation, they store the ash in their lungs and combine it with their chakra to utilize gathered ash in battle. It is a jutsu that ninja from other villages are incapable of using. It would require the ability to acquire the same natural adaptations these locals have"

"Fascinating, creating a jutsu specifically for an entire village" Sugi watched as an elderly woman nearby gave a great yawn, gathering a visibly large amount of ash in her mouth "So the ash is perpetually falling from the mouth of the volcano?"

"Pretty much, it's more uncommon for this village to have a clear day"

They walked a bit further before being approached by a cloaked man wearing a rabbit mask, taking all four by surprise

"What are you all doing here?" he demanded

"We've been sent here by the Hokage to find out why you have not been sending your reports back to the village"

"That's ridiculous Loki has been writing reports daily since we've arrived here"

"Can you take us to this Loki so we may confirm this ourselves?"

The masked man hesitated but finally agreed "if you are on orders from the Hokage I must comply"

He motioned the group to follow him and led them to a nearby hotel, in one of the upper floors they found three more masked figures huddled in different corners of the very cramped space. One of them was quietly drawing until he noticed the presence of the visitors.

"Sai!" Naruto grabbed his friend in a headlock and squeezed him tightly "Ah Sai it's good to see you're ok"

"Thank you Naruto. May I ask why I wouldn't be?"

"The Hokage has not been receiving our reports, she sent them here to find out what happened to us"

"Which one of you is Loki?" Kakashi asked

"That would be me. If you are questioning whether or not I have made sure my reports have made it safely from the village I will let you know I have upheld my duties to the full extent"

"How are you sending these reports?"

Loki demonstrated, drawing up a few characters on a small piece of parchment, after he made a few hand signals the parchment burst into flames. Signaling again the parchment burst back into existence in Kakashi's hands.

"The only way to retrieve the message is to know the hand signals, Lady Tsunade must be making a mistake"

"Is it possible for someone other than you and the Hokage to perform the signs to access your reports?"

"Well yes but I'd have to show them how to perform the correct hand signs"

Kakashi looked at Naruto as a small notion tugged at his gut "Or someone has been doing a lot of observations around the Village. I have a bad feeling about this mission all of a sudden. I don't think it was by accident the only group to fall out of contact was one that had an acquaintance of Naruto's."

"But Shino and Yamato must have been sent away from the village too, I can't be the only connection here" Naruto protested but Sai shook his head

"Captain Yamato and Shino have been instructing the new ANBU recruits. The Hokage would not assign them to any missions until the initiations were all complete"

"Like I said Naruto, someone has been observing the Village very closely, we need to return immediately"

Without another word Team Kakashi left the village and b-lined for Konoha

"We're lucky the ANBU spotted us" Konohamaru pointed out "Who knows how long we would have been away if we had to spend time searching for them. This way we'll only have been away from the village for a day"

"Unfortunately that could be just long enough to leave Konoha vulnerable, with all the ANBU out of the village and Naruto gone this was the perfect opportunity to strike at Konoha with a small force, catch the Leaf Village off guard. I just hope those who were left behind were able to hold them off"

"Kakashi-sensei aren't you being a little presumptuous? Maybe Loki was right, maybe the Hokage just made a mistake"

"Sorry Naruto but something tells me that's not the case"

(_Hinata, Sakura-chan, if you're in trouble hang on. I'm on my way home_)

After traveling for hours they found themselves about three quarters of the way back to Konoha Naruto stopped

"What is it?"

"I smell blood…." He followed the scent through the thick of the forest they had found themselves in sprinting from tree to tree

Kakashi couldn't help but admire his former student's keen senses (_Amazing that he can detect a trace scent of anything in this thick wood. All I can smell is the dirt and bark, I wonder if this is something that has been left over from the nine tails or if this is something he picked up while he was with Taka_)

Naruto finally landed just outside a clearing

"I found someone" He whispered as the rest of the group landed behind him

They watched as three bandaged men began arguing amongst themselves

"Do you think Master will be mad with me?"

"Of course he'll be mad with me, he said just to deliver a message"

"Well you can't argue that killing that Konoha brat sent a message to the Hokage"

"But still, I may have made a bit of a mess with that 'explosive' entrance"

Naruto finally stepped in

"What was that about the Konoha ninja?"

The man turned to look at his surprise challenger

"Well it looks like we've found just the man we were hoping to avoid, well if you must know I came across a couple of your friends back in Konoha and one of them came to an unfortunate demise by my hand." He held up a bloodied bandaged right arm "It's nothing you really need to worry yourself over"

In the blink of an eye Naruto was behind all three of them. Creating a look of terror in the eyes of all three before he slammed each one of them into a tree simultaneaouly

"You shouldn't be so callow about killing my friends. I'll make you pay"

As he was about to strike again a long, thick pink rope fell from the tree tops wrapping the bandaged man up and pulling him back

"Sorry Konoha, but my master needs Aito in tact, he still has much planned for him."

Naruto and the others looked up to see a green haired scaly skinned man wearing an abnormally large pair of sunglasses The 'rope' that Aito was wrapped up in looked to actually be an enormous tongue which he used to haul one of the bandaged men up from the ground as the other two slowly shriveled up

"Get back here!" Naruto screamed

"Fat chance kid" Aito laughed

Naruto ran up the tree but the two disappeared, even the smell of blood had vanished

"Where the hell did they go?" Naruto scanned across the tree line but found no trace of either villain "Damn it! What do we do now Kakashi-sensei?"

"With my fears confirmed knowing Konoha was attacked. We will head straight for the village, they may need our help. I'm sorry Naruto but we'll have to deal with those goons later"

Naruto angrily obliged leaving the clearing with his team mates

Still hiding among the leaves Aito and his savior watched as the ninja disappeared out of sight

"Ah Loki! You're chameleon camouflage really works wonders doesn't it?"

"Stop calling me Loki, that's my cover name. And yes my camouflage hides all traceable aspects of myself and anyone in contact with me, even camouflaging chakra and scents. But what were you thinking confronting the ninja like that? If I hadn't abandoned my undercover post I would have never made it back in time. Master would not be pleased if anything happened to you"

"So the silly ANBU still haven't noticed their Loki has been replaced? Another one of your brilliant techniques no doubt, you are quite talented Loki"

The chameleon man released his team mate and crawled down out of the trees.

"I'm returning to my post, I advise you return to the master, you need time for your body to recover. We must inform him that our mission was ultimately a failure, with the death of their fellow ninja the Konoha will undoubtedly return to their hunt for us, only this time the Uzumaki child will also be on the prowl and that will cause some real trouble for us. We were asked to keep him out of this"

Loki disappeared back into the forest leaving Aito by himself

"It's not like we don't need the Uzumaki child anyways" He grumbled clutching his stomach which had begun to gurgle

"Haha, someone might be hungry" He smiled mischievously; "I wonder where the closest village is? Loki would understand if I just took a small detour to gather a snack"

It took a few hours but Team Kakashi was able to return to Konoha in a decently short time, they bypassed the gates and darted straight for the Hokage residence. Naruto b-lined it right for Tsunade's office, bursting through the office doors Naruto startled Sakura who was attempting to awaken a drunken Tsunade

"Tsunade-sama someone is here to see you"

"Who *hic* is it? They better have some good news" She lifted her head and saw Team Kakashi standing in front of her

"What's the meaning of this? You are supposed to be in the Village Hidden in Ash right now!"

"Granny! Sakura-chan! I'm glad to see you're both ok"

"So you heard the village was attacked?" Sakura let go of Tsunade, allowing her to slump back onto her desk still mumbling drunkenly

Ignoring the Hokage's mumbles Kakashi reported to Sakura "We found out that no one was missing from the Ash Village and on our return found the culprit responsible for attacking Konoha….we heard some troubling news, Sakura is someone really dead?"

Sakura clinched her eyes shut and sighed "I'm afraid Udon was killed trying to protect Tsunade-sama"

"U-udon" Konohamaru's head dropped "H-how? How could he die?" He began sniffling as tears ran down his face splattering against the cold office floor "He was my…oldest friend, we've been together for as long as I can remember"

Naruto cautiously placed his hand on his young friends shoulder

"Konohamaru now is not the time for tears. We're going to find that fiend responsible and take him down"

"No" Sakura said sternly

"Sakura-chan, I'm sorry but you can't stop me"

Tsunade finally stopped her rambling and looked up

"You will not pursue the man that is an order from me"

Naruto's slammed his fist against the wall "What are you talking about? He killed Udon, he killed our friend. How can we-"

"Shut up Naruto"

"S-Sakura-chan?"

"The Hokage gave you an order, do no question her decision"

"Thank you Sakura, but I think I can speak for myself now. Naruto, Konohamaru *hic* excuse me…You will report back here first thing tomorrow morning, I will answer any questions you have then, but tonight I must retire, you are all dismissed"

Angrily Naruto left the building, he began storming down the streets back to his apartment, he was so frustrated he didn't even look at Sakura as she chased him down

"Naruto, I know you're upset but please talk to me"

"I'm not upset, I'm just doing as Granny asked me, I'm going to go to sleep, then I'll return to her office in the morning and give her a piece of my mind. I'm going to find Udon's killer Sakura-chan"

"Naruto do you have any idea why Tsunade doesn't want you to pursue that man?"

"Because she's scared, she's afraid to let the village get attacked again and so she's letting cowardice rule her judgement"

A powerful open palm came across his face

"Damn it Naruto, think about it, Tsunade already reacted to one of our enemies moves and it left this village unattended and vulnerable resulting in the death of a friend. She wants to put a strategy together; she needs time to get a few steps ahead of our enemy. They have the upper hand right now, they've planned their moves. If she acts to irrationally and plays into their hands again it could lead to more deaths next time, she's looking our for all of us right now"

Naruto pressed his hand against his face where Sakura had slapped him, calming down he wrapped Sakura in his arms and squeezed

"I don't know how you do it, but you always manage to help me see things more clearly. It's like you're the only one who can reach me sometimes"

She hugged him back burying her face in his chest wishing she was his to hold like this all the time

"Sakura-chan?"

"Yes?"

"About the other night-"

"Naruto, I-I don't think we should talk about that. Not now, let's just leave it-"

"Sakura-chan something happened between us and we should talk about it"

"I said I don't want to"

"Well why not?"

"Because it shouldn't have happened" She ran off leaving Naruto behind

"Is there anything you would like to explain to a third party Naruto?"

Standing at his back his grey haired sensei was eyeing him with great interest

"Kakashi-sensei….it's…..a long story"

"Well I wasn't planning on getting much sleep, and you'd be better off staying up all night to make your meeting with the Hokage, so what do you say we go somewhere private and talk for a little while"

Naruto nervously followed Kakashi to the top of the Hokage wall, sitting right over Sarutobi and Minato, Kakashi patiently listened Naruto recanted the details of his complicated relationships with Sakura and Hinata. As the sun began to rise of the Hidden Leaf Village Naruto gave his final summary before giving a guilty glance over to his teacher

"So you were put off by Sakura's unusual forwardness when she asked you to spend the night with her. Why is that?"

"I just had this picture in my mind of who I thought Sakura-chan was, and it wasn't this desperate, clingy girl that had been following me around in the Hidden Mist. It was the Sakura-chan I'd always known, the one who scolded me, was often irritated with me and even beat me up every now and then"

"You know when you say it like that it makes you sound like someone who desires…..I guess a soft term would be 'tough love'….a glutton for abusive attention maybe"

"I know it sounds off, but I know the only reason she was always so rough with me is because she knew I could be a better person. She wanted me to be a better person so she pushed me, she helped me grow, she taught me what it was to really care about someone. And when we got back home, it was like that Sakura-chan had reappeared, like she had stayed in Konoha while someone else had taken her place outside the village. And it was difficult to know how to feel about that especially after….."

"Taking Hinata as a consolation prize?"

"It's not like that at all"

"No? It sounds like you settled on Hinata because the Sakura you thought you loved was gone"

"Hinata was on my mind a lot when I was away from the village…..she's the first person to ever say that they loved me…..and it seemed like she really meant it"

"So did you feel a responsibility to try and return that love?"

"Maybe at first, but when I saw Hinata again for the first time it was…..it's hard to explain. All those emotions I felt when I first heard her say I love you that had so long to boil inside of me just came erupting out and I was enchanted by her"

"So your affection for Hinata is not forced, it is a genuine feeling. But there is the case with Sakura as well and you have very strong feelings for both of them. My Naruto you have found yourself in quite a predicament" 

They sat in silence while the sun finished rising over the town, bathing the world below them in a soft red glow as a warm breeze washed over the Village

"Any advice on what I should do?"

"Unfortunately no, the decisions you make in love are ultimately yours to make, nothing can guide but your own heart, you have to let it tell you what to do"

"Kakashi-sensei…you're a lot better at these kind of talks than I thought you would be"

Kakashi held up a small green book with a picture of two lovers on the front of it "You'd be surprised what you can learn from reading. Now if I'm mistaken the Hokage will awaken from her sleep any minute now, you should be ready for your meeting with her"

"Right" Launching himself from his perch he allowed his body to freefall towards the ground below enjoying the rush of the wind that passed through his hair. He landed on the city street with barely a sound and walked immediately into the Hokage's office.

As Kakashi had predicted she was awake, though her hair was strewn about and there were dark circles below her eyes

"Good morning Granny!" He greeted loudly trying not to let his smile show too much when the Hokage gripped her head in pain

"Naruto if you're going to be a nuisance try and do it quietly" She begged "Where is Konohamaru?"

"Here I am Hokage!" Said the young ninja slipping in behind Naruto slamming the office doors as he entered

Again the Hokage grimaced at the loud noises "Damn hangover, the one ailment I haven't learned to cure with medical ninjutsu" She reached into her desk and pulled out two tiny white pills popping them into her mouth and gulping them down

"Now my first order of business with you is to offer my condolences about Udon" Her face grew sullen and Naruto swore he saw a small tear form in the corner of her eye

"I know he was a good friend to both of you, and Naruto he considered you his second teacher, often declaring it was because of the training he did with you that he was able to finally achieve the rank of Chunin. And Konohamaru everyone in the village knows how close the two of you were…if there had been something I could have done I would have. But know that he died in one of the most honorable ways possible in this village. He died trying to protect me and he will be given a special burial and funeral to acknowledge that"

This touched both of them greatly enough that Konohamaru actually did begin to cry though he adjusted his goggles over his head to try and mask it

"Secondly is my explanation for why you should not pursue the man by the name of Aito. You see-"

"Granny, you don't have to explain anything" Naruto said softly, catching everyone off guard

She gave him an appreciative nod and continued "Do know that we will not completely call of the hunt for these abominable shinobi, we will just pursue them on a much smaller scale, I am planning on offering two Jounin led teams to continue to gather research. And I wanted the first two I offered the missions to, to be you two"

"Hokage are you saying that-"

She reached into her desk and pulled out two approved appointments signed by the upper-echelon of Konoha

"As of now you are both officially Jounin" She announced proudly

They took their appointments from her with gratitude bowing and thanking the Hokage

Konohamaru was the first to speak "Tsunade-sama I wish to be one of the leaders of this mission."

"Very well I will leave it up to you to assemble your own team I would prefer you only assembled Jonin and Chunin but again it is your team. From her on ultimately all decisions on how you will execute this mission are on your hands."

"Thank you Hokage-sama"

"And you Naruto?"

He didn't answer right away, he just looked out the window at the village in front of him. He wanted nothing more than to avenge Udon but the thought of finding the village coming under attack while he was away frightened him

The Hokage seemed to feel his hesitation "You do not have to answer right away; In fact why don't you wait until after Udon's funeral in three days? It will give you more time to think about it. Now you two are dismissed"

Naruto and Konohamaru bowed before leaving the Hokage's office

"Can you believe Niichan? We're finally jonin! And I was a jonin before you!"

"What are you talking about? We were appointed at the same time"

"But Tsunade-sama held out my appointment first which means I was a jonin first"

Naruto laughed a little "I guess you could look at it that way"

He congratulated his young friend and returned home, tired but not able to sleep out of a mix of excitement and restlessness. He still had so many questions on his mind about the mission, Sakura, Hinata, the village. Finally he gave into exhaustion and allowed himself a small rest.

He spent the next few days preparing mentally for Udon's funeral but he did his best not to ostracize himself from the rest of the world. He went out around town a bit playing with the village children during the day. He would visit Ichiraku with friends, mostly Hinata, he tried to get Sakura to come out a few times but she seemed distant.

He would spend most nights with his guy friends drinking at local bars but made sure to take it easy so that Lee and Neji would have some help controlling the others when they got too out of hand, which was especially useful on one occasion when Kiba got incredibly intoxicated and tried to 'mark' the walls of the bar.

When the day finally arrived to attend his friends funeral he work up earlier than usual, he dressed himself in his black cloak and prepared to go outside. Looking out the window he saw it was pouring rain, he caught himself staring deep into the grey clouds that loomed over head, losing himself in their gloomy presence (_It seems appropriate that whenever a friend of mine dies it rains. I guess even the heavens are sad to see them leave_)

Hearing a knock on the door he snapped out of his thoughts and went to answer it. Before him stood Konohamaru, and Ebisu who were clearly upset but not as much as the tearful Chiyo and Moegi who stood at their sides. He greeted them all before his eyes fell on two more cloaked women

"Hinata…Sakura-chan"

Hinata raced to his side and enveloped him in an attempt to comfort him. He returned the embrace and thanked her for being by his side

Then Sakura approached him, arms extended. He allowed himself to be comforted by her hug thanking her as well. "It's good to see you again, you haven't been around lately" He joked

"I've been busy, you know that"

"It means a lot that you'd come out to Udon's funeral for me"

"That's what friends do Naruto"

The group made their way to the Statue of the Will of Fire where Udon's funeral was going to be held. When they arrived Naruto saw the two names of those who Udon would be buried next to 'Sarutobi Asuma' and 'Gekko Hayate' (_Two more brave ninja who died to protect their village_) Naruto felt it was appropriate. He took a spot near the front with Konohamaru, Moegi and Chiyo and waited as the funeral began

He listened as intently as he could to the man speaking who Naruto could only assume was Udon's father, seeing as how choked up the man was. He looked around to see who else had arrived for Udon's funeral and was surprised to see the number of people in attendance (_I guess when someone is being buried with the mark of a hero more people feel obligated to attend_)

The Hokage and Ebisu were standing with an inconsolable woman who must have been Udon's mother. Her howls of sorrow wracked Naruto's will making him choke up every once in a while, but he did his best to remain calm as was expected of fellow ninja when honoring a hero. Iruka and Guy stood with Hinata, Sakura, Choji, Lee, and Ino who had also shown up. Yoshi, Sugi and Correia were off at a distance away from the others honoring their fellow Chunin graduate.

"Naruto"

The words of the blue haired girl next to him caught him off guard he saw that streams of water were pouring down her face and he couldn't tell if most of it was from the rain or from her tears. "Chiyo we should do our best to remain silent"

"Naruto, do you know what Udon's wish was?"

"No I don't"

"Udon didn't have dreams of becoming Hokage or being the greatest Ninja in Konoha's history. Udon wanted one simple thing….to be able to instruct young ninja the way he was instructed at the academy…..and just days before his death the Hokage had granted him his one desire…..he was going to be the new instructor for the next group of young students….and he was so excited and he couldn't wait to tell me. He said was going to teach them to be great ninja like you had taught him."

Now Naruto's will began to crumble he did his best to fight back against the pain that grew inside his chest

"Naruto" Chiyo continued "I'm going to live out Udon's dream for him. I'm going to take his place as the next rookie instructor. I'm going to teach the young children of the village to be brave ninja….like Udon was….that's why I need to pass the next Chunin exam, I need to do it for Udon…Naruto, will you train me to be stronger so that I can help Udon's dream live on?"

Naruto remained silent throughout the rest of the funeral. When the speeches were over he walked to the stone of Udon and said a small prayer beside Chiyo. When the funeral was over he stood with Ebisu, Iruka, Chiyo, Konohamaru and Moegi as they said their final goodbyes to their friend.

The next morning he marched into the Hokage's office

"So Naruto, have you decided if you want to take on the duties of the second team leader?"

"I have Hokage….I am thankful for the opportunity you have offered me but I must refuse"

"Why is that?" She smiled

He returned her smile with his broad toothy grin "I have too many duties here at the Village I must attend to first"

"I figured you would stay behind, don't worry I already gave the mission to someone else"

"What would you have done if I had decided to go?"

"Who knows" She laughed

That afternoon Naruto met Konohamaru at the gates of the village

"So you're leaving now?"

"Yeah I already got my team assembled; I want to find this Aito and his master as soon as I can so I can avenge Udon"

"Well it looks like you've built a fine team" Naruto looked to see Moegi, Sugi and Tenten standing behind Konohamaru prepared to leave the village "Good luck to you guys."

"Thanks Niichan. Hey any idea who is leading the other group?"

"That would be me" The two saw Kakashi approaching with his own team, consisting of Kiba and Akamaru, Correia and-

"Hinata? You're going with Kakashi-sensei?"

She gave him a very weak smile as she nodded "I know Udon was a close friend of yours, and a team mate at one point. I want to do everything I can to make sure you can get your final peace with his passing"

"Hinata…you don't have to do this"

She protested "I want to Naruto-kun, I want to do it in your place. I know you have priorities here so I will take on this mission for you"

"Hinata I-" She put her fingers to her lips before he could finish

"Don't say anything" She turned bright red looking at all the people who were focused on the two of them "Just give me a proper goodbye"

Now Naruto began to blush as he gave his girlfriend a thankful kiss "Make sure you come back safe ok?"

"I will Naruto-kun"

With that she and the others took off.

"Well guess I should get to my own mission"

He arrived at the training grounds to an over eager Chiyo who had adorned her Konoha headband across her forehead, rather than around her waist like she typically did

"Now Chiyo you're strengths are in taijutsu, so you're first lesson will be-"

He unleashed his shadow clone jutsu, creating hundreds of Naruto clones around the training ground "Fighting multiple opponents at once" They all said in unison before charging

Tsunade and Sakura watched from afar as Naruto instructed his young team mate on how to dodge and counter against multiple impact techniques while she fended off one clone after another

"He's quite the teacher isn't he Sakura?"

"Yes he is"

"He has a bright future ahead of him" The Hokage said with a smile "Any woman in this village would be lucky to be a part of that future"

"Hinata is very lucky"

"Well she may end up very unlucky, after all with her out of town now would be your chance to swoop in and steal him away"

Sakura blushed before blowing up at her master "I would never think of doing such a thing!"

The Hokage just laughed "I'm only joking Sakura…oh look! Here comes a few new challengers" She pointed to nine people rushing to get into the fray that was going on at the training field

"Hey Naruto don't think I'm going to allow you to give your team mate and advantage over my students!" Kiba yelled directing his three Genin and Akumaru into the middle of the clone frenzy

"And Youthful Cousin, you're plan to train with Naruto to gain strength is well merited, but you will get nowhere without learning the burning passion I have given to my students, a fine teacher Naruto may be but without me you will never learn to as Passionate as me!" Lee screamed as he and his three green jumpsuit wearing students began trading blows with the clones

"No-no Kiba! Lee! This is a private lesson! Get your kids out of here!"

"Not a chance Naruto!"

Tsunade rolled up her sleeves as she bore witness to the scene below "Get ready Sakura, I think we may have our hands full once this melee is over"

As she finished speaking Naruto came flying out of the growing cloud of dust that had been created by the scuffle between ninja, crashing into a tree and falling flat on his face in a daze

"Ah there's our first patient now!"


	22. A Place to Call Home

_It's time boys and girls for another time skip, it's been six months since Team Konohamaru and Team Kakashi left to investigate the whereabouts of Aito, the mysteries behind his master, and well anything else they were suppose to gather. Don't think they haven't returned periodically, they've been back, just never for very long_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 22: A Place to Call Home

Naruto howled in agony, the burning sensation that pierced his skin sent waves of unbearable pain through his body

"Calm down Naruto!" Sakura impatiently shouted "It's just some rubbing alcohol, you're being a huge baby"

"But Sakura-chan-"

"No buts stop whining and hold still"

She carefully administered ointment to the large burns across his back and bandaged up the gash across his forehead

"It seems like every time you come back from a mission you have to be hospitalized, you're as bad as Kakashi-sensei. I mean really first there was the fight with Kiki, then you let Kiba and Lee beat you up. Let's see what happened after that? You broke your arm on your last mission, and how did you get these burns this time?" She took out his chart and examined it "What were you doing around fireworks?"

He laughed a bit "I only do it so I can come and see you" He joked sticking his tongue out

"Don't say things like that Naruto"

"Well it is really the only time I get to see you, I'm either on a mission, you're working with the Hokage, or I'm with Hinata on her trips home or training with Chiyo. It's sad to say but we rarely see each other any more out of the hospital"

"Well…you're birthday is tomorrow, I could stop by and see you tomorrow"

"It is? Oh yeah I forgot about that." A sly grin came over his face "So Sakura-chan have you been planning anything for me?"

She shrugged her shoulders "I haven't been planning anything"

"Well did you at least get me a present?"

"Maybe I did"

"Can you please tell me what it is?"

"Don't beg Naruto, and if I did I'm not going to tell you what it is. It would ruin the whole point of surprising you with it later"

"I can act surprised"

She shook her head and rubbed her knuckles over his head playfully "It's not the same, you'll just have to wait alright?"

"Ah fine….so how long will it take until I can get out of here?"

"Well since there's nothing broken, I think you can leave today. Just give some time for the ointments I administered to soak in, and then I'll give you something you can take home with you"

"In and out that fast?"

"You sound disappointed, do you want to stay here longer?"

"No, just wish we had more time together that's all"

"Ah Naruto don't worry things will slow down soon, and we'll have plenty of time to hang out again"

"I guess, I'm just bored you know? When I'm not training with Chiyo or on missions everyone else is busy. Hinata and the others are on their mission, Choji and Ino work all the time and when they're not working they both seem to disappear. Sai and Shino are on duty most of the time. Lee and Kiba have their teams, and now Neji has taken over Tenten's squad. Shikamaru is always busy with Temari, you work. It just doesn't stop"

"It's all part of growing up"

"Psh I guess so"

Sakura couldn't stand the depressed look on Naruto's face

"Tell you what" She sighed "Once you're discharged I'll take off early and we'll go get your present"

"Sakura-chan you don't need to do that"

She rolled her eyes "Oh please, you just gave me that 'I'm so lonely and bored' routine so you could get your present early"

His face blew up into a great toothy grin "You know me too well Sakura-chan"

As promised Sakura managed to get another medic to cover her shift and after Naruto was able to be released the two set out for Sakura's apartment, when they arrived she made Naruto wait outside the door. After a couple minutes she returned empty handed and locked the apartment behind her

"Where's my present?"

"It's not here, I just had to grab something real quick, now come on follow me"

The two began heading for the outskirts of the village, they had long passed the point where the houses stood side by side and were now in the remote lands of the village. A place where only secluded clans built their dwellings, where there were more trees than homes.

"Sakura-chan what are we doing way out here?"

"Just wait a little bit longer, you'll see"

After another half hour of walking Sakura finally stopped

"Here we are!" She exclaimed excitedly

Naruto looked around and saw a single wooden sign that bore the crest of Konoha on it, other than that he couldn't see much else

"So where is here?"

"Well look at the sign, don't you see what's on it?"

"I am, all I see is the Konoha symbol"

"You-You're kidding. Naruto don't you know what that symbol stands for?"

He shook his head "All I know is that it's on the back of all our jackets and stuff"

"Haven't you ever studied the history of our village?"

"Not really"

Sakura laid her face in the palm of her hand and sighed "Let me give you the quick version: Back when all the tribes were still at war with each other the Senju tribe decided they wanted to make peace by uniting the different tribes of the Fire Continent"

"Ok"

"Well the first tribe to agree to their terms was the Uzumaki clan"

"Really?"

"Yes really, and once more tribes joined the alliance and became known as the citizens of Konoha the former leader of the Senju tribe, the First Hokage decided to honor the Uzumaki by using their clan's symbol as the symbol for the village"

"So what does that have to do with this sign?"

Sakura almost fell face first to the ground but managed to stay upright "Naruto, sometimes you are too much." She pulled out a small sheet of paper "Here read this"

He scanned over the paper but still felt a little lost "This is the deed to the Uzumaki clan's land"

"Right and what does it say?"

"Just that as long as there are members of the Uzumaki clan alive, their clan's land belongs to the Uzumaki's…..Sakura-chan does this mean-"

"I think you're finally starting to get it, just follow me a little bit longer"

Naruto felt his heart begin to pound as Sakura led him a little further into the woods. They soon came to a clearing where five rugged buildings stood.

"Welcome home Naruto, I know it doesn't look like much but-"

Naruto looked at the structures in front of him, then grabbed Sakura in an enormous hug, twirling her through the air

"Sakura-chan this is wonderful. I-I finally have somewhere I belong, this is the land of my mother's family, this is the first tangible part of my parents lives that's ever been given to me"

He finally put her down but did not let go he rested his forehead against hers "I'm glad you like it Naruto"

"How did you find this place?"

She backed away and gave him a small wink "I guess you could say it was kind of lucky"

"How so?"

She motioned him over to one of the larger buildings nearby, opening the sliding door she revealed a large single room with worn out training equipment scattered across the floor

"Well Lee stumbled upon this dojo a couple weeks ago and asked if he could use it to train his students, I told him we'd need to find who the property belonged to. We went looking through the Konoha records and I finally stumbled upon the Uzumaki deed, I knew your clan would have wanted their land to stay with their descendents"

"Sakura-chan…you're the best"

"You haven't seen the whole place yet" She began to exit the dojo but stopped "Oh one thing, Lee was wondering-"

"Lee can use this place as often as he likes" Naruto said looking up at the holes in the ceiling and smiling "Once I fix this place up that is"

"He'll be so happy to hear that, now come on there's more to show you"

They went in and out of each building and she gave him a small tour of each one

"This is the largest building; obviously, it's the only one with three stories. This is where the clan leader and his wife used to live. You know she also used to be the junchuriki for the Nine-tales. This is the clan's meeting hall, it's not much but you could turn into something else I'm sure. This is the bathhouse; can you believe have extravagant it must have been when it was first built? It's still big by modern standards. Now this was the clan's armory, I'm sorry to say that it looks like most of the storeroom has been cleared out but it's still pretty cool right?"

They came up to the last building which Sakura bashfully stood in front of

"Naruto this….this is the only house that was left standing after the…..the Nine-Tales attack"

"So there used to be more homes? Is that what happened to the rest of the Uzumaki's as well?"

She sadly nodded

"I see"

"But it just so happens Naruto…." She slid the doors to the house in front of them open to reveal a quaint beautiful, in tact home. There was a large living room before a kitchen with bedrooms on either side and a flight of stairs that led to three more rooms above "This is the house your mother grew up in"

Naruto's heart stopped "This is my mother's house?" Suddenly everything seemed surreal, he was standing in the same home his mother once had, it was like he could feel her in the very room he stood in, and her whole life was inside of these walls

"How did it withstand the Nine-Tales?"

"Just lucky I guess"

"Sakura-chan I don't know how I can ever thank you for this" He found a dusty shattered picture laying on the floor and wiped it off, the first face he saw was one of a small red headed girl smiling brightly back at him, there were two other people in the picture, both adults which he could only assume were his grandparents. The woman had red hair as well but the man's hair was dark brown, he had a bright red nose and wore thick glasses, something about him seemed very familiar

"Naruto, I know this is a lot to take in….but I have just one more thing to show you"

She waved him back outside with her finger and led him a few feet into the woods

"I managed to find this when I was trying to find my way back to the village"

She pointed to a small tree just a few yards away Naruto could see something carved into it. As he approached he saw two kunai sticking out of the tree, one had its handle wrapped in pink ribbon, the other was odd it had three prongs instead of just one blade and had blue tied to his handle. As he got closer he saw that the tree had been engraved, one it was a small carved heart which read 'NM + UK FOREVER'

He placed his hands over the carved letters and allowed a single tear to fall "My parents…."

He felt two soft arms wrap around his midsection and felt Sakura's body against his "Happy Birthday Naruto"

He squirmed in her arms giving himself enough room to turn around and face her, he ran a single hand through her hair and pulled her into him with his free arm "You've really outdone yourself this time Sakura-chan"

Sakura allowed herself to sink into his arms though she couldn't bring herself to say it, she wished this could be the moment where she finally said 'I Love you' it didn't seem like there could be a more fitting time, but she knew she couldn't, not now

"Sakura-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure there are no more Uzumaki's in Konoha?" 

She bit her lip "Yes I'm sure, I looked through all the records to validate it but. There aren't any more"

"So I really am the last one….."

Sakura hung her head and gripped tightly to Naruto "I'm sorry"

He rubbed a finger under his nose "Well I should get started on repairing these buildings shouldn't I?"

"What?"

"Sakura-chan this is my clan's land, this is my new home, and if I'm going to live here I'm going to need to fix it up"

"You've just decided to fix up the place? Just like that? But the repairs to these buildings could take weeks"

"Maybe for a small group of builders, but for an army of carpenters….. Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"You're not a carpenter" Sakura shook her head but stood back as Naruto and his clones immediately set off to work, some ran back into town to grab tools while others cleared debris from the empty buildings and began cleaning up around the grounds

"We're back!" shouted the clones that returned carrying hammers, saws, and hundreds of boxes of nails

"All right guys, let's rebuild our home!"

"RIGHT!"

Sakura sat on the sidelines admiring the effort and drive that Naruto and his clones were putting into their work

"Hey Hey! What's all this racket?"

From the same direction Sakura had brought Naruto; Kiba, Lee, Neji, Choji, Ino, Shikamaru and Temari all appeared

"Hey guys, sorry if we're causing a racket, Naruto is just fixing up his new home"

"We've been looking for Naruto all day to see how his recovery is going, I had no idea he had moved"

"Well he hasn't, not yet, but he's already decided he's going to"

"Hey Akamaru! Give me that hammer back! That's not a toy"

(_I didn't even see Akamaru show _up) Sakura thought as the group saw Naruto chasing down Kiba's large companion who was happily wagging his tail carrying a large mallet between his teeth

"Well looks like Akamaru thinks we should help, what do you say men?"

"Sounds troublesome"

"Sounds like hard work, we get to eat after right?"

"Sounds like Naruto's business"

Kiba flashed a bright smile at Shikamaru, Choji and Neji "Come on guys it's good to work with your hands every now and then"

Lee had already leapt onto one of the nearby roofs and was furiously hammering away to replace the old broken wood "If I cannot finish the roof of this building by sundown I will run 500 laps around village backwards"

"See? Lee's already in the spirit"

The other boys begrudgingly grabbed some work tools and began helping Naruto 

"Should we help them?" Sakura asked the other two girls

"Nah, this is one of those 'manly' things men think they have to do to prove their worth or something" Temari laughed as she took a seat and watched the men get to work

After hours of labor the place started coming together, though it wasn't finished it no longer looked like it was in shambles

"Alright guys I think that's enough for today." Naruto said as he released his clones "What do you say we go back into town and eat, I'll treat you guys for working so hard"

The other men smiled "Well at least we get something for helping our friend" Neji said as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead

The three girls ran over to the blonde ninja

"Oh Naruto it's so nice that you're taking everyone out, you're a real gentleman you know that?"

His face grew dull "What are you talking about Ino? You girls didn't do anything, why should I treat you guys?"

The three girls became furious "Because it's polite that's why"

"Because you always treat a lady"

"Because I'll beat you if you don't"

The three girls prepared to pummel the shinobi but he backed down

"I was j-just-just kidding; of course you girls are invited"

Sakura mockingly dusted off her hands "That's more like it, even if it is just Ramen it is nice to be treated to a meal every once in a while"

When they got into town they walked right past Ichiraku and continued down the street

"Uh Naruto where are we going?"

"You'll see" He kept walking until he came across a large wooden building with an elaborate painting of a lotus pond stretched across the front, with a sign over head that read only 'Edo's'

"You're taking us here?" Ino said in disbelief, "You could have given us some warning first!"

"Why is that?"

"Because we are not dressed for a place like this!" She looked around at all of her companions "None of us are! Temari you take care of Shikamaru and Choji. Sakura you take Naruto and Kiba, I've got Neji and Lee. We'll all get more suited for this occasion and meet here in two hours"

"T-two hours! Ino I'm hungry now!"

"Shut up Choji, don't you know anything about this place? It's the fanciest restaurant in Konoha"

"We know" Kiba said bluntly

"We come here all the time" Shikamaru continued

"What? Are you kidding me?" Temari growled as she grabbed her fiancé's ear "I've never been here once"

"It's our guy thing" He said wincing as she twisted his hear between her fingers "I'm sorry I'll never leave you out again"

"That's what I like to hear, now come on home, if **I'M** going to dine here **YOU** need to look your best" she dragged him away still with his ear in her vice grip

"Boy Shikamaru that looks like it hurts" Naruto laughed before being dragged off by his own ear

"Don't make fun of others misfortunes Naruto, it might befall you" Sakura snarled "Coming Kiba?"

"Uh-y-yes ma'am"

After the allotted two hours the group returned all freshly bathed and much more properly dressed

Naruto tugged at his jacket that Sakura had demanded he wear "I hate wearing these kinds of clothes, suits I can do, because they feel nice. But this shirt and pants are so itchy!"

The other boys were dressed in similar fashion and all but Lee and Neji were complaining, Kiba was evening gnawing at his own arm

"Good job girls" Ino said proudly as she strode into the front door

"Now don't you boys all feel better?" Temari asked ushering Shikamaru in through the door

"No" Kiba whined "Sakura made me leave Akamaru with my sister, I hate being anywhere without him"

"He doesn't belong in a place like this" Ino scolded

"He belongs anywhere I am, and he comes here all the time"

The two kept arguing as the Maitre de walked to the front

"Good evening Gentlemen, same spot as usual I assume?" He scanned the feet of the men and gave a small grin "So there will be no…dog tonight?"

Just as Ino was about to say no Akamaru bound through the front door barking happily

"Good boy Akamaru! I knew you'd get out of Hana's house no problem" Kiba turned back to the waiter "No he's here, just the usual spot"

The man's face convulsed at the sight of the dog but waved the large group on through the restaurant, pointing them to a large table that sat just above the ground surrounded by floor pillows

"And for the drinks I assume it's the usual?"

All the boys nodded at once

"You guys are here that much?" Sakura said in disbelief "Isn't this place really pricy?"

"Not if you only drink" Choji chuckled

The ladies all hung their heads "Oh brother"

"Well there's no way we got all dressed up to just sit around and get wasted" Temari folded her arms across her chest

But the boys had already had their drinks delivered and began to indulge

"Damn it Shikamaru what did I just say?"

"That you didn't want to sit around and drink, didn't say I couldn't"

Temari gave Shikamaru a very unpleasant look

"What do you want?" He asked "Naruto said he's treating us, I don't want to take advantage of his offer"

"Don't worry everyone, feel free to order anything you want, I won't mind"

No one second guessed themselves after that, Kiba hurriedly waved over the waiter and the table gave their orders

The boys continued to drink while they waited for their food, they mixed conversations between each other and the girls.

"Naruto don't you think you're drinking a little too much?" Sakura asked noticing the slight red tinge that had appeared in her friend's cheeks

"Don't worry Sakura, I always manage to handle them at the end of these nights" Lee said confidently sipping a glass of water

"That's not what I'm worried about" She said

"Don't worry Sakura-chan I'll be fine, I'll slow down I promise-HEY! The food is here!"

Naruto pointed at the train of waiters who were approaching their table, licking his lips in anticipation

The group settled down and ate their meals and returned to their conversations. Ino commented on Choji's hair and began messing with it, trying to get it to stay straight, saying he looked disheveled. The others at the table watched in interest at the two who were acting oddly similar to a couple

Lee asked Neji how he was handling his new students, Neji mentioned that he found his students particularly difficult to deal with, and that they were fairly rambunctious like Tenten. "Do all students begin to take on character traits of their masters?" He asked watching Choji, Shikamaru and Ino excuse themselves to go outside and smoke, and looked at Naruto and Sakura who were carefully eyeing each person that passed by

As the night grew on Naruto began drinking more heavily causing him to pay the check without even taking a look at the amount, he just threw down bills until the waiter told him he had reached the proper amount and then dropped another small wad as a tip

As the group began to leave Sakura and Lee hoisted Naruto up by his shoulders, Neji tended to Kiba, Choji and Ino drunkenly stumbled out of the restaurant together. Shikamaru and Temari seemed to be the only twosome not needing some sort of assistance as Shikamaru had quit drinking early under threat of never staying in the same bed with his fiancé ever again

"How do you feel Naruto?" Lee asked trying to keep the blonde's dead weight off of Sakura

"I'm feeling a little dizzy, but I think it's settling down a little"

"Do you think you can walk on your own?"

"I thought I was"

"Oh brother, Lee we're gonna have to walk him back to his apartment"

Naruto pushed off of both of them "No! I can walk just finebymyself"

"He can walk just what?"

"Just let go guys"

"If you say so"

Though they did as he asked Sakura and Lee followed behind Naruto for a while making sure he would be able to make it home safely

"I told you guyz I gots dis" He said waving to his friends

Sakura and Lee exchanged nervous glances "If you say so Naruto, just promise me you'll get home safely" Sakura hugged him "It's not quite midnight yet, but Happy Birthday Naruto"

"You said that already todays" He chuckled

She gave him one last squeeze then said goodnight allowing Lee to walk her home

Naruto stared up at the dark blue sky and took a deep breath feeling a rush of cold air lightly pass through the alleyway

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto stumbled around trying to find the location of the person who had spoke his name, though he had a faint idea who it was

"Hinata? Are you there?"

She made her way from the shadow of a nearby building and reached his side

"Hinata what are you doing here?"

"Kakashi-sensei decided we should come back to make a report to the Hokage, we've stumbled upon some very interesting information"

"Oh yeah?"

"Naruto-kun you've been drinking haven't you?"

"You can tell?"

"I can smell it on you" She laughed a bit "I guess it's not a huge deal, it's your birthday after all"

"It is my birthday" He said happily throwing his arm over her shoulder "So why don't you walk me home? I could use the company"

Hinata's waved her hand in front of her face trying to blow away the stench of alcohol that escaped Naruto's lips

"Alright if that's what you want"

They quietly walked all the way back to Naruto's apartment rather than his new home on the outskirts of town, Naruto keeping his arm around her shoulder the whole time.

When they finally reached his apartment Hinata took a look at her watch "Well would you look at that, it's after midnight, you know what that means?"

"It's finally my birthday"

"That's right" She through her arms around his neck and kissed him nearly pushing him against his own front door

Fumbling around with his back to the wall he finally found the handle to his front door and lead both of them into his apartment.

He quickly shed his coat and tossed his shoes across the room still lip locked with Hinata. He slowly reached his hands up to her chest and removed her jacket neither taking their lips off the other

After a few more minutes of kissing Naruto playfully pushed his girlfriend onto his bed catching her slightly off guard but she did not seem to mind, laying down on top of her he continued his assault placing one hand on her backside and gripping it tightly and the other behind her back. The two of them continued like this for a few moments until Naruto ventured his hand from her back to her stomach attempting to reach up under her shirt but she slapped his hand away

He finally opened his eyes to see his girlfriend's face buring bright red "Uh- Hinata-"

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun…I'm just not ready for…you to go that far yet"

Naruto wanted to apologize but for one split second a small voice in the back of his mind told him he should get mad

"Well why not?"

Her face grew stern "Naruto-kun I'm just not ok?"

He flung himself onto his bed "Fine I guess, I just wish you had a better reason" as soon as the words left his mouth he wished he could take them back seeing the astonished look from Hinata turn to anger

"Well excuse me but I thought I'm not ready would suffice, good night Naruto"

"Hinata wait I'm-"

He watched her storm out slamming the front door behind her.

(_Way to go you idiot_) He reached into a nearby drawer and pulled out a single bottle of Sake

He slowly sipped out of the bottle until it was nearly completely gone, by that time he had two deep desires that he felt he had to fulfill and he didn't care which one it was. He was either gonna find a fight or find someway to release some sexual tension. And he had a drunken intuition he knew one place where he could find one or the other.

_Not exactly my best chapter, but I think it's leading somewhere so I stuck with it_


	23. Narutothe What?

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 23: Naruto….the what?

Naruto slowly lifted his throbbing head from its resting place and wearily looked around the room he was in, though he could barely focus on anything that his eyes rested on he was certain he was not in his apartment or his new home, but something about the place looked familiar

"Naruto! Are you finally awake?"

The sound of the familiar voice forced Naruto's body to thrust out of the bed he was in, making his head pound mercilessly, looking at his body he found that he was wearing nothing but his pink heart boxers

Sakura came into the room apparently wrapped in nothing but a blanket carrying a plate of food, laying the food on a nearby table she clutched the blanket to her chest and crept over to Naruto's side, she playfully placed two fingers over his ear and gave his lobe a small tug

"So what do you say Naruto? Ready for round two?"

Naruto's head began to spin from a mix of the hangover and the startling realization he had spent the night at Sakura's house, he suddenly felt nauseous and collapsed to the floor.

"Sakura-chan, what happened last night?"

"Don't you remember?" She said stretching out into his lap "it was magical"

He gripped the sides of his head and clenched his eyes shut "Sakura-chan did we…..sleep together?"

She made an attempt to produce a nostalgic face but her cheeks began to bloat and a smile swept across her face. She soon began to laugh a high pitched laugh that burned Naruto's ears

"Sakura-chan" Natuto mumbled "What happened last night? And could you put some clothes on?"

Sakura's grin grew wider dropping the blanket she revealed she was actually fully clothed in a pair of shorts and a tank top "You came pounding on my door in the middle of the night hammered drunk and then immediately passed out on my floor. I couldn't make out a single word you were saying, so I tucked you in bed"

"What about my clothes?"

"You kind of just threw them off as you walked in the door, I put them over there" She pointed to the heap that lay next to the bed

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan, I don't know why I came over here last night, the last thing I really remember was seeing Hinata and then the rest is all blank"

Sakura face softened a little "Did you two have a fight or something?"

"I don't know, but now that you mention it I have a feeling that's why I got so drunk, I should probably find her to apologize"

Sakura laid the plate of eggs and bacon in front on Naruto and handed him his pants, he quickly picked himself up from the floor got dressed and began to eat the meal Sakura had made him at her dining table

"You know Naruto, you shouldn't try to get past your problems by drinking, you need to find yourself a new outlet"

"I'm never drinking again" he grumbled as his stomach lurched forcing him to dry heave a little

Sakura laughed "Everyone says that after the kind of night you had" she handed him a glass of clear liquid "Drink this"

"What is it?"

"It's water dummy"

"Don't you have anything that can make my headache disappear? Like some kind of herb or something?"

"Of course I do, but if I gave it to you, you wouldn't learn your lesson" she teased

He leered at her before returning to his breakfast, when he had finished he lowered his head on the table and prepared to go back to sleep, but Sakura pulled him back up

"Sorry Naruto I have to go to work, you can't stay here, why don't you go home and bathe? You reek of alcohol"

Taking her advice he headed straight back to his apartment and got bathed, feeling a bit better he grabbed another glass of water and quickly gulped it down

He was preparing to leave his apartment to find Hinata but found a guest standing in his open doorway

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Ah Naruto, I'm glad you're here" the grey haired man walked into the apartment giving it a brief look around with his one exposed eye "I have a few things to discuss with you, do have some time?"

"For you? Of course" Naruto sat on his bed looking up at his former teacher

"The first part of my business here is to let you know we're making headway on our investigation of the bandaged man known as Aito, and we believe we may have found a source that could give us some leads on his 'Master'"

"That's great"

"Not really"

Naruto gave him a puzzled look "It sounds like good news to me"

"You would think so, but our investigation has led to some disturbing revelations. The first of which is that most of our leads have led us to old bases that were used by Orochimaru when he was doing his cell experimentations."

"But wasn't Orochimaru sealed inside of Sasuke's body?"

"That's what we're to believe, so I think we can rule him out as our 'Master', but someone has definitely continued to experiment with his research."

"That is disturbing"

"We believe these 'Abominations' are the result of some of Orochimaru's left over experiments, combining the cells of shinobi with the mutated cells of animals, giving these shinobi animalistic characteristics"

"How many of these shinobi do you think he has experimented on?"

"I'm not sure, but the labs we have discovered have been used recently, many of them have been sloppily covered leaving some very important data behind. It looks like this 'Master' is trying to create something else"

"Like what?"

"That's what we're going to look into, now as for the second thing: Lady Tsunade has asked that you show up to this event at 1 PM sharp." He extended a letter with an address written on it

"Why'd she ask you to tell me?"

"I was on my way anyways"

"Any idea what this meeting is about?"

"Of course"

"You're not going to tell me are you?"

"It would spoil the surprise" Kakashi began walking out of Naruto's apartment but stopped for a moment at the door "And by the way Happy Birthday Naruto"

Naruto bowed "Thank you"

He watched his former teacher leave and returned to his bed (_I was going to do something…..AH! Hinata!_) He scrambled back to his feet and out of his bed, sprinting through the town to Hinata's house, he finally arrived and gave a quick knock

Tenten appeared at the door with a mischievous grin on her face "Hey Naruto…I guess you're here for Hinata?"

"Yeah is she here?"

"You really messed up last night" She responded ignoring his question. He wasn't thrilled that his friends voice had so much joy in it

"Is Hinata here or not?"

"Oh she's here" Tenten pointed towards the shut door that would lead into Hinata's room, "She may not be waking up anytime soon" 

She may not wake up anytime soon, and when she does she won't be in a great mood"

A groggy moan came from the Hinata's room as the Hyuga slowly opened her bedroom door, her hair was a mess and there were dark circle under her eyes

"Good morning sunshine" Tenten enthusiastically greeted her room mate "How is your head feeling?"

Naruto noticed a bottle of sake that sat on the counter beside him and did his best not to let a smile creep across his face

His girlfriend slowly lifted her head and caught a quick glimpse of Naruto, gasping she turned her back to him covering her face with her hands "Naruto-Kun what are you doing here?" she groaned

"Well I came here to talk to you about last night. You see I don't really remember what happened" he nervously rubbed the back of his head keeping his eyes on his feet

"Yes" Tenten shouted happily "Let's talk about last night! I want to know what happened to send Hinata on her first trial with alcohol"

"Tenten leave me alone! My head is killing me" Hinata whined as she returned to her room, Naruto tried to follow her but she stopped him "And you stay here, you're the reason I'm in so much pain right now, I'll talk to you when I'm good and ready"

Naruto sheepishly backed up beside Tenten as they watched Hinata crawl back away

"So is this your guys first fight?"

"Yeah"

"Oh how fun! What did you do?"

"I don't know...hey who says this is my fault?"

"It's always the man's fault"

Naruto gave her a very sour face but she waved him off

"You'll learn soon enough it's true"

The two retired to a nearby couch and talked while waiting for Hinata

"So what's it like being part of Konohamaru's team?"

"He's so much different than anyone else I've ever been partnered with. For a young guy he's very determined, and he's so organized, it's amazing how much he reminds me of Asuma"

"That's saying a lot about him, although what can you expect? I did teach him everything he knows"

Tenten rolled her eyes

"Hey ask him, I'm sure he'll tell you the same thing"

Hinata finally emerged from her room she still had dark circles under her eyes but her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she was wearing more casual clothes than usual, donning a grey sweatshirt and shorts

Naruto stood up to greet her "You look really pretty this morning"

"Don't sweet talk me, I'm still mad at you"

"I mean it, I really like your hair like that, you should wear it up more often"

Hinata just brushed past him

"Go easy on him Hinata, he doesn't remember a thing"

Naruto did his best not to bend under the glare his girlfriend gave him

"Is this true?"

He nodded fervently "That's what I came here for, I wanted to ask what happened last night. All I remember is bumping into you in the alley and then it's a blank"

"That doesn't excuse your behavior last night"

"My behavior?"

"You got a bit grabby" Tenten laughed stretching out her hands and clinching her fingers as if she were groping an invisible person

Naruto's face flushed and he fell to his knees "Hinata-chan" the suffix grabbed her attention "I'm so sorry! If I hadn't been so drunk I never would have acted like that, I promise to treat you with more respect from now on, please forgive me!"

Hinata crossed her arms and looked away from her groveling boyfriend "Oh just get up already, I guess I forgive you"

Returning to his feet he tried to get a hold of Hinata but she pulled away "I forgive you but I'm still mad at you"

"Of course, anything I can do to change that?"

"We'll see" demeanor began to lighten "I missed you, you know"

"Yeah me too"

"So do you have any big plans? It's the first time in a while I'm going to be in town for more than a day, maybe we could do something that will help me be less upset with you"

His face fixed itself into a quizzical expression "I've got to go somewhere" He pulled out the notice he had received from Kakashi earlier that morning "At this address at 1 PM"

"It's 12:30 now" Tenten butted in "You might want to get going"

"But as it is I don't have anything planned after that so I'll stop back here"

"I'll be waiting" She said, watching him walk out the front door. As soon as he was gone she dropped to the nearest seat and let out a long groan

"I am impressed with how long you were able to keep up that act, you look like you're in a lot of pain"

"I am…how much did I drink last night?"

Tenten inspected the still open bottle that sat on the counter "About a quarter of the bottle"

"That's it? But I feel so sick"

"Lightweight"

As Naruto approached the address he was given he began remembering last time he was invited to a random address (_I'm really not in the mood for a party right now, I still feel the affects of last night_)

When the building finally came into sight he saw the Hokage standing outside the front of the building

"Ah Naruto! I am so pleased you accepted my request." She inspected his clothes pointing out his t-shirt and pants. "Though it would have been a bit more appropriate for you to dress like a Konoha Ninja for this event it shouldn't be a big deal, to be honest I didn't know if we were going to have enough Jonin for this years groups"

"Groups of what?"

But the Hokage didn't hear him, she just shoved him inside where the other Jonin were waiting, most of whom were much older than Naruto

Tsunade approached the front of the room and pulled a long scroll from her robe "Now that you're all here we can begin the sorting. She cleared her throat "Team 1" She began reading off a list of names and finally a Jonin

"Wait what's going on?" Naruto whispered to the nearest Jonin, and older female

"How can you be here and not know? We're being assigned our rookie squads"

"For what?"

She gave the blonde and incredulous look "We're the new instructors for this years group of academy graduates"

"Damn it Kakashi-sensei knew what was going on and volunteered me, guess I can't leave now, I'll just explain to the Hokage what happened"

"Team Seven" He heard her announce "Oro, Kenji; Hanatabi, Suzu; and Takara, Mai: Instructor Uzumaki Naruto"

"T-team Seven? Granny would do something like that"

Once she had finished her list up to team 17 she cleared her throat once more

"I will remind you that it is ultimately up to you to pass or fail these rookies, you will provide them their final test to decide if they are worthy of being Konoha shinobi."

Naruto walked up to the Hokage and greeted her as he typically would

"So Team Seven" He said snidely

"Yes Team Seven, upon our examinations these three students will benefit most from your tutelage"

"Look Granny I'm not really sure if-"

"You know Kakashi is very proud that I considered you ready to accept your own students, I know Jiraiya would be as well. We all knew one day you would make an excellent instructor"

The mention of his former master, his teacher and the compliment from the Hokage all began to turn the idea of being an instructor around in his head. He began recalling the instructing he had done already: Konohamaru, Udon, Yoshi, and Chiyo. (_I would be a pretty good teacher after all. And how cool would it be for these kids to be instructed by the future Sixth Hokage?_)

"So when do I get to meet the new Team Seven?"

"Well I think you should think about what test you're going to administer first"

"Oh I already know exactly what test I'm going to give"

"Really? Well I'm impressed you're so well prepared" She extended another sheet of paper to him "These are their addresses and scores, basically their strengths and weaknesses as ninja, what you should focus on in your training exercises, should you deem them worthy to pass"

He took a look at the names of his team once more "Wait a second….Suzu and Mai? Why do I have two girls?"

"There happen to be more girl rookies than boys this year…is that a problem?" She rolled up her sleeves giving him a death glare

"No, there's no problem at all" He said nervously. Creating three clones he wrote instructions for each of his new students to meet him out at the training grounds

"I'll just make a quick stop by Kakashi-sensei's and-"

"Looking for me are you?" Kakashi appeared around the corner carrying a small felt box

Eyeing the box Naruto gave a knowing glance at his former teacher "You knew I was going to take this team on didn't you?"

"Of course" He held out the box to his student "Ready to carry on the tradition that was started by the Third Hokage?"

Naruto gladly accepted the box hearing a small jingle come from inside as it landed softly in his hands "You better believe it"


	24. Team Seven

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 24: Team Seven

Naruto sat before the three young ninja that eagerly awaited his instruction

(Geez were Sakura, Sasuke and I this small when we were kids?)

One of the girls began to fidget obviously put off a bit by her new teachers silence (I can't just stay quiet I have to think of something to say, what did Kakashi-sensei first say to us? Oh yeah!)

"so let's get started, why don't you go around a tell me a little bit about yourself. Tell me your names, your likes, your dislikes, and your dreams.

The girl to his left spoke first. She was shorter than the other two but had long red hair and a slight pink touch to her cheeks. She wore her Konoha headband around her neck and had a small pink flower placed in her hair. She was dressed in long green robe with a yellow flower pattern running all the way down

"My name is Mai. I am 10 years old, I like flowers and poetry, I dislike people who are rude. My dream is to become the first girl in my family to become a full fledged ninja, and nothing will stop me"

(Wow good start, I like this girl)

The second young girl began her introduction. Her skin reminded Naruto of Killer B's it was much darker than most peoples. She had shorter brown hair that was tied up behind her head, and she bore a star shaped scar on her left cheek. Her headband was tied across her forehead. She was dressed in a large purple jacket with white pants

"My name is Suzu and I am 12 years old. I like my family, they've taught me my family techniques and have prepared me to be a true Konoha Ninja. I dislike eating fish, and my dream is to carry on my family's legacy as Noble Konoha Shinobi"

(Also good)

The last student stood up when giving his introduction. He had wild brown hair that hung just over his eyes covering up his forehead protector. He wore a green vest over a protective chain mail shirt, with brown pants that were tied with a red belt. But what stuck out most was the guquin that was tied to his back

(I wonder what that's for)

"And I am Kenji, also 12 years old. I dislike a lot of things, but I have only one thing I really like, music."

He gently removed the large stringed instrument from his back and plucked a couple strings.

"My dream is to be a world renowned Sound Ninjutsu master"

"Very good all of you, I am Uzumaki Naruto, your instructor. Now let's dive right in. It's time for your final exam"

"What! Final Exam?" the three Genin shouted in unison

"That's right, I'll be the one who decides if you are worthy of becoming Genin or not"

"Then what were all those tests at the academy for?"

"to prepare you for this point." He held out the two infamous bells "You're job is to retrieve these bells from me"

"But Sensei, there's only two" Kenji pointed out

Naruto couldn't help but smirk as excitement rose in his chest (This must be what Kakashi-sensei felt like) "You're absolutely right, you see only about 9 academy grads get the chance to become Ninja from each class"

"So only two of us will be able to pass?"

"Yup, you will compete against me to get your hands on the bells."

Suzu sprang from her spot and reached out for one of the bells. Naruto quickly snatched them away and caught her by her collar holding her up in the air "I didn't say to begin" placing her back on her feet he took a few steps back "Now if you want any chance to get these bells from me you'll have to come at me with the intention to kill. Do you understand?"

They all nodded

"Alright, you have until nightfall, ready? Begin!"

Suzu charged back at him but this time Mai mimicked her movements and flanked him from the other side, he easily dodged them both causing them to nearly collide

When he landed again he saw Kenji setting up his instrument, kneeling in front of it he began to work the strings with a very slow melody before striking the instrument sending a rush of air past Naruto's head

(so he builds up chakra in fingertips, then uses the vibrations of the strings to give the chakra shape and momentum, that's a pretty advanced technique)

As he watched Kenji begin his next attack he heard Suzu and Mai coming up from behind. Somersaulting backwards through the air he caught both of them by surprise forcing them aside with a wind attack. Mai landed first but waited for Suzu to begin her assault then followed suit

(It looks like Mai figured out early that working as a pair would be better than working individually, I wonder if the other two will catch on)

Performing another somersault to avoid the barrage he landed gently amongst the leaves of a nearby tree.

(Time to have some fun) he cast the shadow clone jutsu creating 11 clones and the Naruto Dozen leapt from the branches, leaving the three young ninja speechless

The Naruto's all split off in different directions

Suzu and Kenji prepared to chase after them but Mai made them stop

"Wait! We'll never beat any of them if we try to take then on one by one"

"then what do you propose we do?" Kenji asked

"We work together"

"The three of us work together to capture two bells? So one person's effort goes to waste to ensure that the other two get to graduate, is that what you're suggesting?"

"Well yeah"

"Dream on" Suzu said as she split off from the other two

"What selfish thinking, I bet you would have asked for one of the bells just cuz it was your plan"

Mai hung her head and took off in her own direction "I'm not selfish" she pouted

Suzu finally came upon her sensei, it appeared he hadn't noticed her yet, and he appeared to be shoveling down a bowl of noodles

"The jerk gives us a test then has the nerve to just split off so he can eat lunch? I'll show him"

She carefully reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a shiruken(sp) and flung it at Naruto, without flinching he caught it in between his chopsticks and let it fall harmlessly to the ground

"Damn" she looked back in her pouch for another one prepared to launch her second attack but when she looked up there was no one in sight

"Where did he go?"

"Where did who go?"

"This jerk of an instructor I was assigned to, he was in that clearing just a second ago" turning her head she saw herself face to face with Naruto

"Hello!" he waved politely to her

Screaming she kicked out with her feet, catching him in the chest, but instead of falling backwards he disappeared into a puff of smoke

"What is going on?" she cried

Not too far away Kenji was having his own problems. He found himself hanging upside down by his foot, his instrument dangling from his back

"Can't believe I fell for this stupid trap"

"I can't believe it either" Naruto said as he appeared from behind the tree shaking his head sympathetically

"Let me down!"

"Why would I do that?" Naruto asked has he began untying the guquin from Kenji's back and started walking away with it

"Hey give that back! I need that to fight"

"Do you think a real enemy would return your instrument after giving away a piece of information like that? No I think I'll hold onto it for you" He disappeared leaving Kenji in the trap

"I'm really starting to hate this"

"It's only gonna get worse" Another Naruto appeared and began poking the defenseless Genin making him swing back and forth

Meanwhile on the other side of the training grounds Mai had already managed to dispatch two clones and was now following her third Naruto of the day

"I'm gonna get those bells! Even if I have to do it alone" She watched as Naruto leapt into a nearby bush to hide

(Man that Mai girl is a real pain in the butt...speaking of which)

He felt a small stinging sensation in his backside, cringing he slowly rotated his head to find the young red head prodding his behind with a kunai

"Strange" She said giving him another sharp prod "the others would have disappeared by now"

"Cut that out!" Naruto shouted swatting the Kunai out of her hands and rubbing his sore backside

"Oh you're the real sensei!" upon her realization she made a grab for the bells that hung around Naruto's waist but he was too fast for her

"You're good I'll give you that. It explains how you were able to graduate from the academy at such a young age, but you took out my clones, and I can't let you keep causing me trouble" Whipping out a rope he soon had her strung up and drug over to the wooden pillar he had once found himself tied to

"Now if I can just catch the other two, I should find out how my clones are doing" releasing the jutsu he gathered all the information they had "Hehe looks like I caught Kenji already too. It's a shame, it looks like its just Suzu left, looks like there will be no graduates from Team Seven after all"

Shortly after the clones disappeared Suzu came upon the still swinging Kenji

"Hey you! Get me down from here!"

"It's not hey you, it's Suzu. And in your predicament I would prefer Suzu-chan"

"Suzu-chan get me down from here"

"Why should I?"

"I think that kid was right, I think if any of us are going to pass we have to work together, he's too good for us to take on one on one"

"Yeah I've been thinking the same thing" she cut him down without warning making him fall flat on his face

"Now let's find Mai and get those stupid bells….after I find my guquin, the instructor took it from me"

The two did not have to look for long, they heard a couple frantic shouts for help and followed the sounds, little did they know it was actually Naruto imitating their team mate

"Any minute now Suzu should come, unless she still thinks she can win this challenge on her own" he turned to the whimpering Mai "You be good now, don't spoil the surprise ok?"

He took off to a nearby hiding spot and waited patiently, what he saw surprised him. Suzu and Kenji came sprinting to Mai's aid together

(oh! Finally working together are we?)

He saw that they still hadn't untied Mai but were silently talking amongst themselves (What are they talking about?)

"You're right Suzu, if she was able to get herself caught like this she'd just hold us back, we'll find that Instructor on our own"

"Wait don't leave me! Please!" but it was too late the two Genin had already taken off

(So close, there's no way I can pass them now, leaving a team mate behind like that, too bad I was looking forward to being a teacher)

He watched as Mai began to ball big tears running down her face

"Hey What's this? Don't cry! What do you have to cry about?"

"I'm stuck to this stupid log like a loser only idiots would get caught and tied up like this"

She caught a nerve with that statement "loser! Don't say that, there have been plenty of ninja strapped to that same post and they went on to be great Shinobi"

"Really? Were you one of them?" she asked hopefully

"Uh-Uh of course not, but one of my comrades was and he turned out to be a real hero, now do you see why there's nothing to cry about?"

"The others left me strapped here!" she wailed "If I can't get the bells I'll never be a ninja and my dream will die"

Naruto felt his face shift a little pitying the little girl but he tried to hold strong "Don't be ridiculous, as long as you have faith in yourself your dream will never die! You can't let anyone or anything tell you otherwise"

"But the bells-"

"Forget the bells! There will be plenty more chances for you to prove you can be a good ninja! Even if you don't pass the Bell test"

"No I mean the bells are already gone"

Naruto looked down at his belt and sure enough the bells were missing, hearing a small jingle he looked back up he saw Kenji, Suzu and Mai with triumphant grins

(Was that all a distraction?)

"W-Well g-good job guys" he stammered trying to keep his composure

"Does this mean we get to be ninja now?" Suzu asked excitedly

"Wait Suzu" Kenji took his bell and handed to the still tied up girl

"If Mai hadn't told us her plan and played as bait for Naruto-sensei we would never have succeeded in our mission, we can't accept a passing grade without her, I'd rather not be a ninja at all then graduate without her"

Suzu gave a small pout and nodded in agreement also handing her bell to Mai

(There's no way I can fail them, they actually managed to get the bells and are willing to give them up so that Mai may pass, that's good enough for me)

"Kenji, Suzu is that what you really want?" He asked his students sternly

"It is" they both nodded

"If that's the case...you all pass" as he said the words he couldn't contain his excitement any longer allowing his big toothy grin to show through

"What! Do you mean that sensei?"

"This was not an exam to see if you could get the bells, this was a test to see if you could work as a unit. Though you got off to a rocky start you put your faith in each other and each one of you made an offer to sacrifice your own chance at passing so that another might succeed. As part of a real ninja team you will be required to rely on one another as a team, you will need to trust one another and be willing to make difficult sacrifices to ensure your team mates return safely even if means costing yourself the mission. That is what I was taught, and that is what I believe makes one a better ninja"

He stood before the awestruck pre-teens and couldn't help but feel a little smug (What a speech, I've got this instructor thing down already, they're hanging from my every word)

Cutting Mai down and retrieving the bells he gave his farewell "I will call on you guys again once we have our first mission, good job everyone, you're dismissed for the day"

Kenji and Suzu took off but Mai stayed behind holding a single white flower in her hand out to Naruto "Thank you sensei" she said sweetly

Naruto accepted the flower and inspected it in his hand "I remember you" he smiled a bit "We met after my first night back in the village"

"you remember!" she danced a little excitedly "I was so excited when I found out you were my teacher, I promise I won't let you down Naruto-sensei"

With that she left the training grounds

"Guess I should report to Tsunade that my team passed my test"

He casually made his way back to the village basking in the low red glow of the setting sun (Who would have thought Granny and Kakashi-sensei would surprise me most on my birthday? Maybe I'll make a quick stop at Ero Sannin's memorial before I meet up with Hinata, I haven't made my way there in a while)

He was so caught up in his thoughts he hardly noticed Sakura had snuck up on him

"Whatcha doin?" she asked grabbing him from behind making him jump

"Sakura-chan! What are you doing here?"

"I was coming to see your progress with your new team, surprised they're done already"

"Let's just say I have a talented group of Shinobi"

"They got the bells from you didn't they?" she laughed

"Yeah"

"Were are you off to now?"

"I'm gonna see Ero Sannin"

"Mind if I tag along?"

"Not at all"

"Maybe we could grab some ramen afterwards? It's on me. How does that sound?"

Naruto laughed elbowing his pink haired friend playfully "Like a girl's trying to go after my heart, don't let Hinata find out"

"Oh I won't"

"But seriously I told her I'd do something with her, maybe we should at least invite her"

"You are so whipped"

The two enjoyed a small shoving match until Sakura pushed Naruto right onto his back then ran off making her chase her

"You can run into the woods forever but you don't know your way around" he shouted after her "I might just go to Ero Sannin's memorial without you and leave you for lost"

"You wouldn't dare!" she confidently shouted back

"She's got me there" He chuckled as he chased after her


	25. The Sand Village

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 25: The Sand Village

Naruto slowly allowed himself to catch his breath; his heart was pounding in his chest uncontrollably, he felt a few beads of sweat form across his brow and slip behind his headband. He had been running for so long and had no idea how much longer he could keep this pace up.

Checking for any tracks he may have left behind he heard the sound of footsteps approaching, he ducked into a nearby bush and held his breath. Though there had been no sign of his pursuers for some time but he knew better than to let his guard down.

Checking his stock of remaining ninja weapons he found little that would be of use.

(_I'm all out of smoke bombs, no more escaping them that way. Maybe I could create a distraction using a kunai and exploding tag….but if they don't all come at me at once it will give my position away to the others_)

"I think he went this way"

(_Damn they've almost found me, I could attempt a transformation but will that be enough?_)

"We know he has a tendency to transform, check every rock and tree, he won't escape us again!"

(_This is it I've got to make a decision now_)

He crouched preparing to make the jump from his hiding spot but found himself face to face with a red headed kunoichi

"There you are sensei!" She cried happily

(_Damn they found me_) 

"We're ready to go to Ichiraku now" Mai's bright smile turned upside down as she gave her instructor a quizzical look "What are you hiding for?" Her expression soon changed again as if she came to a realization on her own

"Sensei were you hiding to test our tracking skills?"

"Uh yeah" Naruto lied "You're exactly right Mai" He stepped out of the bush and patted his student gently on the head "You all did well to find me" (_I can't believe they found me! Why did I ever promise them Ichiraku? The way these three eat I'm going to go broke_)

"Suzu! Kenji! I found sensei! Let's go get some ramen!"

Naruto found himself sitting before 15 empty bowls of noodles looking on in horror as his three students each ordered another bowl

The owner happily filled their bowls and turned to Naruto

"Ah Naruto, I can't thank you enough for introducing me to my new favorite customers"

"You're welcome" Naruto mumbled miserably looking into his wallet to make sure he had enough money

Though they did make him go broke every time he treated his students, he had quickly become very fond of the three Genin. They had only been Team Seven for 6 weeks but the unit had really grown close.

They had completed a few easy D-rank mission. Mostly community service types cleaning garbage, or gathering supplies for the medical units. Easy tasks like that. But earlier that morning Tsunade had finally rewarded them with their first C-rank, what he had forgotten was he promised them Ichiraku after they were given their first C-rank

"Naruto-sensei" Mai gently poked Naruto in the shoulder "Thank you for the ramen" she gave him a small sweet smile that Naruto couldn't help but return

Although he had promised himself he would not choose favorites between his students as so many instructors seemed to do; he couldn't help but favor Mai a little bit, even though she was the youngest of the three she had a much steeper learning curve than the other two, she was much better at improvisational tactics, and had a more acute sense of awareness. To top it all off she rarely became frustrated when a task or skill proved to be difficult and she had a never give up attitude he admired.

Suzu and Kenji finished up their bowls and both released a satisfied sigh rubbing their stomachs gratefully

"So Naruto-sensei, what is this C-rank mission the Hokage gave us?" Kenji asked "Are we infiltrating a secret crime organization? Or maybe we're being sent out to rescue a beautiful Feudal Lords daughter! And her twin sister! They will be so grateful to me when I show up to their rescue that they'll-" before he could finish Suzu pounded her fist into the back of his head

"Maybe if you spent less time thinking about pervy thoughts and more about your training you would be able to keep up with Mai and I"

"Don't be ridiculous Suzu, I'm much stronger than you two"

The two faced off foreheads pushed against one another gritting their teeth

(_They almost remind me of Sasuke and myself, no maybe more like Sakura-chan and I_) Naruto chuckled

"Ok you two cut it out. No Kenji our mission is much more important than either of your fantasies"

The three Genin's eyes went wide with excitement "Is our mission really that cool sensei?"

"It is definitely that important"

"What is it? Please don't make us wait any longer" they begged

Before Naruto could speak a very agitated Temari through back the curtains for the Ramen Stand

"Hey Naruto I've been waiting on you for two hours now, we have an timeframe to get to the Sand Village you know"

"We'll be escorting Temari, Konoha's ambassador to the Hidden Sand back to her home village"

"Guard duty?" the three whined "That's boring"

"But it's very important" he said sternly "Not only is the sand village our closest ally but Temari is the fiancé to a very good friend of mine"

Mai jumped from her stool and stood before Temari giving her a small salute "Temari-sama we will do our best to make sure you get to the Hidden Sand safely"

"Naruto your student is absolutely adorable" Temari squealed bending down to pinch Mai's cheek

The owner of Ichiraku spoke up before they left "Naruto don't forget about your bill"

Naruto reached for his wallet but Temari stopped him "Old man just put it on my Shika-kun's tab, he'll probably be stopping by later anyways"

"Yes ma'am"

"Temari that was very kind of you"

"think nothing of it, it's the least I could do for your offer to play bodyguard for  
>me, but if you really want to thank me you could always help me carry my bags"<p>

She pointed to six enormous satchels that were stuffed to the brim with clothes and accessories

"Of course" he said trying not to show his irritation

Suzu and Mai attempted to each grab a bag but Temari stopped them

"Girls don't be silly the men will carry those, plus I need someone to keep their hands free while to cast jutsu's in case we're attacked"

The group began their trip with Suzu and Mak standing at either side of Temari, while Naruto and Kenji brought up the rear loaded down with luggage

"Temari-sama weren't you one of the strongest wind users from the Hidden Sand?" Suzu asked "why would you need body guards?"

"The Hokage and the Kazekage want to take extreme caution with these abominations Shinobi on the loose, and I must admit their power sounds a bit overwhelming. It is now customary even for higher ranked Shinobi now to be accompanied by a guard squad while these rogues are around"

"Ah that makes sense"

Kenji who was beginning to stress under the weight of the two bags he had strapped to his back looked at Natuto

"Sensei how long is it to the Sand Village?"

"Well usually it's just over a day, but at the pace we're going it will take three or more

"Sensei I can't carry these bags for three days"

"Think of it as strength training, just hang in there Kenji"

As night began to fall Naruto suggested the group settle down and camp out for the night but Temari disagreed

"There should be an inn somewhere nearby, we can stop there for the night"

"Will this be on Shikamaru too?"

"No, as an ambassador I do get certain privileges, this inn is quite familiar with me"

As she had said after another hour of walking the group came upon a small inn by the side if the road

As they entered a tiny bald man scurried to the front door

"Ah Temari-sama! So glad to see you again, will you bs staying the night with us?"

"Yes, and my four guards as well"

"I see, rest assured your company will be well taken care of, now will it be three rooms?"

"I think two will be fine"

"Very well I assume one for the ladies and one for the gentlemen. If you will all kindly follow me"

The boys dropped off Temari's luggage and retired to their rooms, stretching out their cramped backs

"Naruto-sensei I can't carry that stuff any longer"

"I know how you feel" Naruto replied dropping to the floor mat that had been laid out, as he did a small scroll scooted out of his pocket and across the floor

"A scroll! We could have stored her luggage and summoned it, why didn't I think of that?"

"Sensei do you mean we didn't have to carry all those bags?"

"Hey don't get upset at me, you didn't think of that either"

The two got ready to retire and laid down on their mats, just as Naruto felt his eyes grow heavy Kenji began speaking

"Sensei?"

"yes Kenji what is it?"

"Have you ever been in love?"

"That's an odd question for you to ask, why so interested?"

"I'm just wondering, I have three older sisters and they're always talking about being in love with boys, I want to know how you know if you're in love"

"Are you asking me because I have a girlfriend?"

"Maybe, I've seen the way you and Sakura are together, you seem different around her then you do otherwise"

"You think Sakura-chan is my girlfriend?"

"You mean she's not?"

"No I'm dating Hinata"

"Really? I haven't even seen you with her around town"

"Unfortunately because of her mission she's away a lot, I don't get to see her much anymore, but when I do I enjoy the time we have together"

"But do you love her?"

Naruto didn't respond right away he stared blankly at the ceiling above him

"I know I care very much for Hinata but I don't know if I love her, I've never thought about it before"

"I don't think you need to think about love, I think you would just know wouldn't you?"

Naruto laughed at his students bluntness "You may be right, now go to sleep no more of these hard questions, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow"

"Will we be able to move faster now that we can store Temari's bags in a scroll?"

"I hope so" Naruto yawned

In the trees in the distance two pairs of eyes glowered down on the two men a short sharp barking laugh broke the silence before becoming stifled by the hand of the man who had started it

"Rikichi be quiet, we need to keep our presence hidden"

"Sorry Aito, I can't help myself, just knowing that tomorrow I'll be able to sink my teeth into those adorable little children is getting me all excited" He began to laugh again before being struck

"I said be quiet" Aito looked down on the small hunched man he had been partnered with for this mission in disgust. The man's eyes were bug-eyed and nearly popping out from underneath his long filthy blond hair with excitement, his lopsided grin and unnaturally thick tongue made him even less appealing, then there was his awful scratching habit, he refused to wear footwear of any kind so he could reach up with his toes and scratch his stomach and shoulders.

"You must be patient Rikichi, you are one of the Masters new experiments and that makes you very valuable. Not only have you been enhanced with his mutated animal cells, you have also been granted the genes and abilities of the original"

"Deidara-senpai" the cackling man looked at his hands with glee

"That is why we need to keep a low profile until we get the signal from Loki"

The next morning Team Seven returned to it's travels, without having to carry the bags on their backs the trip was going by much faster

"Honestly Naruto I don't know why you didn't think to use a scroll sooner"

"You could have said something"

"And miss out watching you carry all that luggage? No way"

"weren't you the one complaining about a schedule?"

"That was just to get you up and out of the village"

"Naruto-sensei, Temari-sama. How much longer to reach the village?"

"Well Mai at this rate it should only be a few more hours"

As predicted the group reached the village in no time at all, stopping before the great stone door that permitted entrance into the village, 8 Sand Shinobi met them at the entrance

"Our thanks for bringing Lady Temari back to the village safely, she will be safe in our hands"

"I'm sorry but I can't allow that" Naruto said calmly "I have direct orders from the Hokage and Kazekage to escort Temari until she returns to Konoha"

The eight ninja exchanged glances "We were not informed of this condition"

Temari stood between the two groups "Do you really want to risk upsetting the Kazekage? Stand aside"

"Yes Lady Temari"

"The nerve some ninja have these days, questioning a Jonin from Konoha"

"You really took offense to that didn't you?"

"The Hokage and my brother have worked very hard to ensure they along with the Lightning Village stay on as good of terms as possible, whether it's between politicians or village Shinobi and those guys insult all the work Our Leaders put in by questioning your authority"

"I don't think it's THAT big a deal" Naruto laughed

"It only takes one fool to cause an international incident and we just passed eight of them"

"Plus that one guys voice was way too high pitched for a real man, do you think he's a Eunich or something?"

"Kenji watch your mouth they might hear you"

"Yes sensei"

The eight sand ninja watched as Team Seven disappeared into the ravine that led to the Sand Village

"That girl is quite stubborn" The ninja slowly began to merge into one

"Though I should have known it would be no easy task separating them, I would have been disappointed had they just handed her over to me" he plunged his hand into the sand below them and yanked out a gasping, sputtering Rikichi

"Why did you bury me in the sand?"

"Because you have no self control and I needed to keep you quiet"

Team Seven approached the Hall of the Kazekage, the Genin stood in awe at just how enormous the inside of the building was

"This hallway alone could fit the whole Hokage residence"

They soon spotted a lone man sitting atop a large stone Throne, the Genin could not make out his face but knew he was the Kazekage by the traditional hat that he wore

"Gaara! Brother it has been too long since I last saw you"

"It has, who are your escorts?"

"Gaara this is Konoha's rookie squad team seven"

The three students bowed and greeted the Kazekage appropriately but Naruto kept his head high and his arms crossed

(Ugh Sensei has no manners at all) Suzu glared at Naruto (He's going to get all of us in trouble)

Naruto approached the throne and pulled the Kazekage off his seat gripping him in a headlock mortifying his students

"Has it really been so long you don't even recognize me Gaara?

Gaara Pulled his head from Naruto's grip and tossed his arm over his old friends shoulder "I was trying to give a good first impression on your students, you had to go and ruin it" he stepped up to the young ninja

"So you are the three fortunate enough to be taught by Uzumaki, Naruto?" Though he wasn't smiling his face was soft and his eyes were kind which helped the Genin to relax "No doubt you will each become find Shinobi like your Sensei"

Mai extended her hands to the Kazekage revealing a small white flower

"Oh a gift?" Gaara asked gently taking the flower from her hands "A lotus? Thank you young-"

"Mai, it's a thank you for your kind words to us and to sensei"

Gaara's face broke exposing a large grin "You are a very remarkable young girl, Naruto you must feel very lucky for a student like her"

Naruto nodded "I'm lucky to have all of them"

"Naruto-sensei how do you know the Kazekage?" Kenji asked

"We go way back, to the days when I was a Genin under Kakashi-sensei"

"Naruto has saved my life many times, that's not to say I haven't had to save his skin every now and then." He sat back on his chair "You should take the position of Hokage already, I'm sure Lady Tsunade grows tired of all the politics that surround her position nowadays, she should be about ready to retire. Plus I need someone else from the new generation sitting in that Lands Meet, I'm surrounded by Shinobi stuck in the old days, the Tsuchikage even still clings to life as ancient as he is"

"Quit joking around you know Tsunade isn't ready to let me step in as Hokage, she still thinks I'm an immature child"

"Well she'd be right"

"If you two are done chatting" Temari interrupted "We have a meeting to attend to, Gaara are the other ambassadors assembled?"

"We're waiting on our ambassador from Kirigakure"

"Not so Kazekage" two Shinobi appeared in the hall "The ambassador from the Hidden Mist has finally arrived"

"Very well, the meeting will begin immediately. Naruto, would you like to accompany us? Kankuro usually accompanies me as a guard butis out on a mission, I know it's a formality but having a guard at the door may still be appropriate"

"Sure, I'll get to see how you politicians work from the inside. Kenji, Suzu, Mai why don't you wait in the guest rooms? I'll send for you if I need anything"

"Awe I wanted to go see the city" Suzu whined

"Sorry but I'd prefer to know where you are in case of an emergency"

"Like that's gonna happen" Suzu muttered as she followed her team mates to their room

Naruto escorted the two Sand Ninja to the meeting hall, standing behind Gaara observing the 9 other ambassadors that sat around the table

"So where is this Ambassador to the Hidden Mist?"

As Naruto spoke the hall doors flung open

"Here I am. Pardon my tardiness Kazekage" an old woman said politely as the hall doors slowly slammed shut behind her

"You're in awfully good spirits this afternoon Lady Ambassador, especially considering we brought you here on such short notice"

"Short notice? I was informed of this meeting long in advance"

"Then perhaps in your old age you forgot that the meeting is not for 2 more days, or perhaps your not the ambassador at all"

"So you figured it out?" The old woman transformed in a puff of smoke to a bandaged lanky man

"Give yourself up, you're surrounded Aito"

"So you know who I am?" Aito cackled in his shrill voice "You must think you're so very clever, unfortunately you see I have the upper hand, as we speak one of my segmented copies is approaching Naruto's young students, I suggest you should hurry to their side before something horrible happens to them"

Naruto didn't budge, he stood patiently behind Gaara smirking

"what are you waiting for? I'm not bluffing" Aito roared

"My students are in no danger"

"How can you be so sure?"

Three floors above two of Aito's copies crashed into the room where the three young Genin sat

"Looks like your Sensei was careless leaving the three of you unattended"

Before their eyes the three Genin transformed into Naruto's shadow clones

"What's going on?"

In the meeting hall Naruto had just finished describing the situation to their unwelcome guest

"So you see what you thought were my students were actually shadow clones in disguise"

"Then where are the real children?"

"Like I'd tell you" 

(**Outside the village**)  
>Back in the ravine that lead into the Hidden Sand Village Suzu peeked out from her hiding spot inside a small cave<p>

"Any sign from Naruto-sensei yet?" Mai asked

"None yet, maybe he was wrong, maybe there was no danger at all."

"Don't be so quick to doubt" Temari said confidently "He may seem like a big dope but he has become quite a talented and very aware Shinobi, he and Gaara are probably taking care of the situation as we speak" 

(**Back in the meeting hall**)  
>Aito was beginning to panic, his Master's plan was not going accordingly, he needed to do something desperate. Grabbing the closest person he could by the throat which happened to be who he thought was Temari, and held a kunai to her throat<p>

"Well it appears I still have one chip left to bargain with"

"You think so?" Naruto asked as the 10 other members sitting in the room all turned into Naruto clones

"Damn it more clones!" Aito tossed the Naruto aside "How could you have planned this far ahead?"

"I've felt your presence since you were spying on us at the inn last night, while you weren't watching I sent a clone on ahead to alert Gaara. What did surprise me was when we found you and your seven copies at the gates, I didn't think you would ever have the guts to reach the Sand Village ahead of us. After we passed you there I knew I had to act quickly, so I hid my team and Temari and exchanged them for clones. Then for safe measure made a few more and hid them around the city until we needed them. So like I said before you're cornered give it up"

Before Aito could respond the wall behind Gaara and Naruto exploded sending them across the room


	26. Things are not always as They Seem

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 26: Things are not Always as they Seem

Gaara and Naruto landed softly on the stone floor of the Hidden Sand Assembly room

"Thank God for your sand, otherwise that explosion could have really hurt" Naruto rubbed his shoulders "What was that explosion anyways?"

"Allow me to introduce my partner" Aito shouted gleefully "Rikichi"

The slumped man unleashed a hideous cackle as he emerged from the smoke

"Deidara-sempai's abilities are incredible, I must remember to thank the Master when I see him again"

"Deidara?" Gaara and Naruto exchanged glances

"so you're aware of Deidara? Maybe you're familiar with his clay techniques?"

The group of Naruto clones leapt from their seats in an attempt to restrain Rikichi but another explosion made them all vanish into smoke

"Naruto, I've dealt with Deidara's technique before, I will handle Rikichi, you take Aito"

"I'll be glad to, I owe him one for Udon"  
>Furiously working his hands he cast a jutsu that sucked him and Aito through the stone floor into the room below<p>

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time Aito"

In the blink of an eye he was upon his enemy driving a sharp knee into Aito's chest which made the lanky man double over in pain

(_He's so fast, with as many pieces of me spread across this village I don't stand a chance, I'll have to find the others and rejoin with them. But how do I escape?)_

Before he could get a chance to think Naruto unleashed a flurry of punches all making contact with Aito's face, when he finally stopped all that was left was a beaten pulp of flesh

(_There's no other option I'll have to let him destroy me and hope the others can find each other in time to combine back into one, luckily my conscious will be given to the others so they know to seek one another out_)

Weakly Aito feigned an attack, allowing an opening to one of his vital spots which Naruto immediately took advantage of extinguishing the life force of his enemy

"Now to find the others"

Upstairs Gaara was not having the same success with Rikichi, the wild man had incredible speed and was lobbing clumps of explosive clay toasted Gaara in every direction

(I need to find an opening in his attack pattern, my sand will protect me sufficiently for now, but if an opening doesn't show itself soon I will be forced to take desperate measures)

Gaara winced as another explosion blew sand from his right side into the air

Rikichi landed on the table before Gaara "You seem a little shook up Kazekage, I would have thought you would be putting up more of a fight"

"You don't have time to sit there and taunt me" Gaara told him

"And why not?"

Gaara didn't have to explain as Rikichi found his arms and feet bound by sand that had collected on the table

"Let me go!" the abomination demanded pulling as hard as he could at his restraints

"You were given a lot of power by your master, unfortunately you are too foolish to use it properly, a good Shinobi never assumes he has the upper hand"

"You're absolutely right, never assume you have the upper hand" Grinning wickedly Rikichi revealed a large lump of exploding clay that had been clumped in his mouth, he spat at Gaara who barely had enough to shield his face from the attack before it went off making the walls of the room come crashing down around the two combatants

Off in the distance Temari heard the explosion, scanning the village she saw a large plume of smoke snake it's way from the Kazekage residence

"It's not Naruto's signal, but it's a sign there's trouble, are you ready everyone?"

The three Genin nodded

Temari summoned her fan through Naruto's scroll that he had left with her

"This is no longer a C-rank mission. You are now assisting the Hidden Sand protect it's village, this is a high stakes operation"

The three young ninja looked forward with determination

"Let's go"

Bounding from their hiding spot they made their way to the center of the village, all around them Hidden Sand ninja were assisting the villagers to get to secure locations

"Temari-sama what are we looking for?"

"We'll look for Naruto or Gaara, if we run into the enemy first we engage."

Not too far away the enemy had already spotted them, one of Aito's copies watched as the four ninja sprinted through the panicked crowds of bystanders. Torn with the knowledge that he would need to find the other pieces of himself to defeat Naruto, and the idea that he could erase the Ninja's precious students; finally making a decision he leapt from rooftop to rooftop until he was above Temari and Team Seven, dropping in on top of them, forcing Temari away from the young ninja

"Going somewhere children?"

"This must be the man Naruto-sensei was talking about" Kenji said stepping in front of his team mates, unloading his guquin from his back he faced the large bandaged ninja without hesitation

"Kenji get back!"

"Sorry Temari-sama, our mission is to make sure you safely reach the Kazekage, I won't let my first real mission go awry because of some smelly freak" without taking his eyes off his enemy he called to his team mates "Suzu, Mai, execute Team Seven tri-force attack"

Suzu sprung forward firing smoke bombs and exploding tags attached to kunai which were all dodged

"Child's play" Aito laughed, he caught the eye of Kenji who was seated before his instrument plucking away at the strings "How sweet, you're playing one last song before you perish" Aito mocked. But as the words left his lips Kenji vanished before his very eyes, the smoke grew thicker and the music grew louder until it was all that surrounded Aito

"Is this a genjutsu? A bit more impressive, but still not enough to trap me" closing his eyes he bit down hard on his lower lip the pain bringing him back to reality, Kenji sat once more before him plucking away at the string of his large wooden instrument

"Enough of that noise!" Aito screeched reaching out for Kenji, as he was inches from grasping the Genin something sharp slashed at his arms leaving wide gashes

Startled Aito swiveled his head to see where the attack came from, spotting the youngest of Team Seven surrounded by a swirling vortex of Lotus petals

Temari was just as stunned as Aito by the young child's technique

(She's managed to gather wind chakra in each of those flowers, keeping them in the air and firing them like shuriken is difficult enough for a young ninja, but to do all that and apply wind chakra to each individual bud is quite a feat)

Mai began forming her hand signals "Wind Release: Lotus Blade"

All the flowers flung themselves simultaneously at Aito ripping deep into his skin tearing away at his body leaving deep wounds

"Now for the finale" Kenji shouted shouldering his guquin and charging Aito with Mai and Suzu behind him "The three stage attack sensei taught us"

Suzu attack first with a kick to Aito's gut Forcing him to bend forward "Uzu"

Kenji delivered a sharp uppercut to Aito sending him into the air "Ma"

Mai struck last heel dropping Aito to the ground "Ki"

"Team Seven Barrage" The three finished their attack as one striking their enemy with their fists after he had crashed to the ground leaving him in a small sand hole

"We did it" Suzu shouted gleefully.

"Moron's!" A muffled scream came from the still crumpled form of Aito "You think your pitiful attacks can stop me?" he lifted his body from the sand and with one swipe knocked the three Genin away into a far wall "You pesky children asked for it, I wanted to kill you off quickly but now I think I'll take my time killing you"

As he approached Temari stepped in between him and the children gripping her large fan in front of her "You seem to have forgotten about me"

"And just what are you going to do?" Aito teased

Smirking she whipped her fan in the air and brought it down with force, the resulting wind blasted Aito into the wall behind him wedging him deep into the stone, trapped he could only watch as Temari prepared her next attack

"You shouldn't have come here; finishing you off will be my message to your Master to remember that"

Bringing her fan across her body Temari unleashed a huge amount of wind chakra that ripped into Aito and tore him apart

Learning that another one of his pieces had been destroyed Aito combined all his copies that were in close enough proximity to each other in case they ran into more trouble

(_This plan is not going as Master said it would, Naruto should not have been so keen to my presence. And he never mentioned that this ambassador was such a powerful ninja, I can only hope Rikichi can keep the Kazekage occupied until I reach my objective_)

In his panicked state he hadn't even realized where he had been running, the ground below his feet suddenly felt oddly unstable and wet, looking down he realized he was no longer running on sand, whatever was below his feet was pink and mushy…and it seemed to be moving. Confused he looked at the walls around him and to his disbelief they were covered in the same material (_What is this?_) 

Naruto appeared around the corner of the only building not covered in the pink material

"Looks like I've finally got you right where I want you, locked inside of my 'Toad Mouth Bind'"

"I'm in the mouth of a toad?" Aito tried to move but his feet had sunk into the ground and restricted his ankles locking him in place

"It's a little trick I learned from my master, took me a while to get the hang of it." Naruto patted the walls "It's impossible to escape"

"While you waste your time with me my copies are running free in the Hidden Sand, how do you know I'm the real Aito?"

"You're all the real Aito" Naruto snapped his fingers and from the soft tissue below five more Aito's appeared bound at their hands and feet

"You're technique isn't like a normal clone jutsu, you actually separate and recreate a fully functional version of yourself, spreading your power evenly across your copies. A good technique for gathering information, scouting, even escaping a powerful opponent, but not really for direct combat or infiltrating a village like the Sand; knowing that your Master still sent you here"

"What are you suggesting?" Aito scowled

Naruto began pacing back and forth between the Aito copies "You know it's funny, your Master was able to sneak you into Konoha undetected, send me away from Konoha, and avoid some of our best scouts for months. He's no slouch when it comes to gathering and sorting valuable information I'm sure." Naruto flicked Aito in the nose infuriating the man. Naruto continued his monologue as he watched Aito squirm in his restraints "But when we let loose a single document requesting the ambassadors to return to the Hidden Sand he reacts immediately, sending you of all people"

"Of course he sent me. He has faith in me"

"You're wrong, your Master places no value in you."

"Liar! My Master entrusts me with his most vital assignments-"

"Your Master sent you here as a pawn, a simple game piece to be captured while the real players on his board make their adjustments. You know how I know? This whole 'assembly' was a fake."

"What do you mean a fake?"

"Let me ask you this, did your Master ask you to tail one of the Hidden Sand's ambassadors?"

"Yes"

"And I suppose he gave you direct instructions not to kill her"

"Yes"

"You didn't think to ask why?"

"I don't question my Master"

"And he knew that, he knew you would go on any mission he asked of you without question, even if it meant your demise. We staged this whole meeting, to see if your Master would show his face, we thought he may bite on a few pieces of misinformation but he followed our false plans perfectly. Too perfectly, someone as careful as him would know better"

Aito began to shake with fury but still could not move, he just followed Naruto as the Hidden Leaf smugly walked from wall to wall lecturing him

"Your Master knew where we would stay on our way between Konoha and the Hidden Sand, he knew who was escorting Temari back to her village, he knew that there was no ambassador's meeting but he sent you and his newest experiment anyways. He didn't care what happened to you, your usefulness was used up long ago, this was just a test to see how his newest creation could hold up against a shinobi like the Kazekage. But you were expendable. The only thing we didn't count on was that you would attempt to reach the Hidden Sand before us, we figured you would tail us from the inn to the village and unfortunately that miscalculation cost the lives of innocents, we'll have to learn from that mistake"

"If you staged all this why did you go through all the trouble to trap me in the assembly room? You could have captured me anytime you wanted"

"We had no information on your partner, we didn't know his abilities or how he would react if he thought the situation was not under his control. As it is he is trapped in an illusion that he is supposed to fight the Kazekage and that he has the upper hand, in reality he's been under the control of a genjutsu since making his appearance while the Hidden Sands interrogation team analyzes his abilities, his character traits and so on. He is just as much a prisoner of us as you are"

"I've had enough of your lies, when I get out of here-"

"I already told you, you won't get out of here, you'll stay here until I bring you back to Konoha to be interrogated"

Naruto turned his back to Aito, making his way to the mouth of the toad he had summoned he carefully crawled out returning back to the Hidden Sand. Bending forward he told his summoned companion to take their hostage to the Hokage. The Toad saluted then disappeared in a puff of smoke

"Naruto-sensei!"

Naruto looked to see his three students running towards him, Temari following close behind

"Is it over?" Temari asked

"Probably not, I'm sure this 'Master' will try to recover the man Rikichi" He looked out into the village at the crumbled buildings and broken homes

Temari stood beside him looking at the extensive damage to the village "Even with all our planning we couldn't anticipate how much damage those abominations would cause, I hope the information we can gather from these two will be worth it"

"There were Ninja who lost their lives today because we were ill prepared, no information is worth that" Naruto turned his back and gathered his students. "Let Gaara know we're returning to Konoha, let us know if you obtain any valuable information from your prisoner

"Right, I will return in a few days with a full report to the Hokage" Temari watched as Naruto sullenly lead his team out of the village (_He mourns the lives of men he didn't even know, I hope he doesn't hold himself responsible, that's more of a burden than any man should have to bear_)

From far in the distance three men watched as Naruto and his team left the village

"Master, should I retrieve Rikichi for you?"

A tall pale man wearing a purple hooded robe halted his minion "No Loki that won't be necessary, the Sand will soon find he has no information of value to them and will lock him away, he has served his purpose, we know that the mutated cells that I have acquired from various summoning animals can be combined with the genes that I gathered from the former Akatsuki successfully." Shifting his arms he revealed a small bundle wrapped in red cloth "Thanks to Ko here we are that much closer to obtaining the last piece I need to complete my ultimate creation"

The short shinobi behind them bowed "I only live to serve you Master"

"Nonsense Ko, you will be rewarded for your efforts. In the meantime I think you should return home to your village. We need you to begin preparing your daughter, we cannot move forward without her"

"Yes Master" without another word Ko took off leaving Loki and his Master alone.

The Master extended a scaly hand carrying the bundle to his last remaining follower

"I will leave this in your hands Loki, it is a powerful weapon that will let me wield the power of any shinobi I wish. Without it my plan to return the Ninja world to chaos will fail"

"I will not let you down Master"

"I know you won't Loki, do not return to me until I have called for you" Those words spoken the two vanished

After a long days worth of travel Team Seven finally arrived back at the front gates of Konoha, where four ninja stood waiting for them. Naruto waved to the group

"Mr. and Mrs. Oro! Mr. and Mrs. Hanatabi!"

The parents of his students greeted him with joy "Ah Naruto-san thank you for returning our daughter safely to us once more"

"Mrs. Oro you know our children are in great hands with Naruto" Suzu's father assured her "With him as their instructor we don't need to worry about our children's safety" He bent forward to look his daughter in the eyes "Suzu, what do you say we go home and train, I think you're finally ready to learn our clan's most advanced technique"

"Do you mean it? I would love that father!"

Suzu and Kenji said their goodbyes to their Instructor as they returned to their homes with their parents. Mai began walking away as well

"Mai shouldn't you wait for you mother as well?"

"No I'm sure she's busy preparing dinner or something, I can make my own way home"

As she began to walk away again her mother finally appeared with tears in her eyes "Mai your father has finally returned home"

"Papa's finally home from his mission!" Mai shouted excitedly "Goodbye sensei!"

"Don't forget we meet with the Hokage in two days for our next mission" Naruto happily waved to his student

"Ah now I'm all alone with nothing to do…..I should probably return to my clans home and finish construction, I've been slacking off lately. I don't know how many more nights I can sleep with that hole in my roof"

*** ** **!&!* *&!&!

(_To be honest I didn't give it my all in this chapter, I kind of just wanted to get it done, so if it sucks now you know why, sorry! I'll do better next time_


	27. Naruto's Day off

_As I said before that last chapter sucked, my mind has been really scrambled lately and I just wanted to get the next chapter out, I promise to put quality over quantity from now on, at least the best quality I can do. I want to thank those of you who are still reading this for sticking with me. I decided this chapter is gonna be a little more relaxed writing, more like a stress reliever. Enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 27: Naruto's day off

Naruto wiped his brow as he put the finishing boards in the roof of his home, standing up he admired the four buildings around him, he had worked hard the last six months trying to restore his clans land and finally after months of hard work it was finally completed

He made his way into his mother's old home which he had chosen to live in instead of the Clan leader's residence, that building was just too big for one person to live in alone. He took a quick shower and began scanning through his clothes for something to wear. Since it was his day off and the beginning of summer he decided his flak jacket was too hot to wear.

He stumbled upon a dark red cape that hung in the back of his closet

"My Sage cloak, maybe I should try it on for old time sake"

Forcing the cloak over his arms he realized how much he had grown since wearing it last, the sleeves hardly passed his elbows and the tail didn't travel far beyond his knees

"I've outgrown the thing, this stinks. I was planning on wearing this again when I became Hokage"

Turning the cloth over in his hands he got an idea

"I'll take it to Geezer Granny Toad and see if she can't fix it up"

Casting his own reverse summon he appeared right in the middle of the Fukasaku home. Startling the two old sage toads making them tumble to the ground

The bearded Fukasaku was not pleased at the unannounced intrusion "Naruto-chan what's tha meaning of this? Barging into my home while I'm in the middle of lunch, ya nearly gave me a heart attack boy!"

"Be quiet Pa, we hardly get guests for lunch anymore." Shima said pounding her husband on the head with a frying pan she took Naruto's hand and led him to the table "Sit down boy sit down, don't mind Pa"

"Still I should apologize for my intrusion Geezer Toad" Naruto bowed his head

"Eh it's nothing ta worry about boy, some forewarning would be appreciated in tha future" Fukasaku slurped down a large spoonful of worms "When did you learn ta perform a reverse summon anyways?"

"Just a technique I found of my fathers while putting my clan's home back together, he kept a log of all his techniques in a scroll in their home. According to what I've read there should be another one but I can't seem to find it, I hope it didn't get lost or stolen"

"Minato always did like ta chronicle his accomplishments" Fukasaku said digging back into his worms

Shima placed a large plate of colorful grubs and beetles in front of Naruto. Grimacing he slowly reached for a grub but Shima pulled the plate away

"I almost forgot yer quite tha picky eater aren't cha?" She produced another plate of more edible food, rice balls and small fish

"Ah thank you for the food Geezer Granny"

"Of course boy, of course, now what brings ya here today?"

"Well" He pulled his Sage cloak out "My cloak doesn't seem to fit anymore, I was hoping you could alter it for me?"

"Ah I would be pleased ta boy!" Shima clapped her hands "It's been so long since I got ta do some sewing, would ya mind staying here boy while I make yer adjustments? It would help ta have ya standing here so I can get yer sizes"

"Not at all" Naruto smiled at the two kind old toads (_Spending a day on Mount Myobuko should be good for me, I just hope no one comes looking for me, I wonder what everyone's up to_)

(**Back in Konoha**) the four Leaf Ninja girls had all gathered with Kurenai and Shizune for a special celebration at Barbe-Q

"Oh Shizune-sama" Ino squealed "I had no idea you were pregnant! And seven months along? How did you manage to keep it hidden for so long?"

Shizune rubbed her barely bulging belly "I guess I was just lucky that I didn't balloon out like someone women do, what really surprises me is that Guy was able to keep his mouth shut for as long as he did" She laughed "Now that I've given him the OK to tell everyone he can't stop bragging that he's going to be a father"

"Well can you blame him?" Tenten said stuffing her face with pork "Team Guy's been split up for so long, he needs someone knew to teach about 'youth' and 'burning souls'"

"And how to wear green jumpsuits" Sakura teased

All the girls but Shizune laughed "If I can help it this child will never put on a jumpsuit. But enough about me, Kurenai where is little Ryo?"

"Shikamaru was kind enough to give me a day off from being a mother, he insisted he take Ryo around the village, and I'll admit I didn't exactly argue with him. Shikamaru is taking his promise to Asuma very seriously, and I am very grateful for that"

"Ah I can't wait until I can be a mother" Ino sighed

"Keep sneaking around with Choji the way you have been and you might not have to wait long" Sakura teased

"I-I don't know what you're talking about" 

Tenten now joined in the berating "Oh come on Ino, if Kurenai-sensei and Asuma-sensei couldn't keep it hidden from us how did you think you were going to?"

"I tell you I don't know what you're-" Ino stopped her defense as she watched Choji walk in the restaurant with Lee, Shino, Sai and Kiba with Akamaru tailing behind

"Hi Choji" She waved

"Hi Choji" Sakura and Tenten imitated giggling while they did

Furious Ino turned on them "Cut it out, it's not funny, I'm just being polite to my former team member"

"Then why is your face all red?" Tenten pointed out "You look like Hinata used to around Naruto"

"Speaking of which, Hinata you have been very quiet. How are things with you and Naruto?" Kurenai asked politely

"Well to be honest it seems like we've hit some sort of a stagnant point in our relationship. I think my constant traveling with Kakashi-sensei's team and his new duties as the leader of his own Genin kind of keep us apart more than I would like"

Ino pushed her way in next to Hinata "Then what you need to do is really spice things up with him during the time you do have together, you know what I mean?"

Blushing Hinata shook her head fervently "I c-couldn't do that. I-I just don't think I'm ready"

"Well a relationship has to move on in that direction at some point, otherwise you will remain stagnant."

Sakura elbowed Ino in the ribs and leaned over so she could whisper in her friends ear "Ino just drop it, don't you remember what happened with Hinata's last boyfriend when she tried to romance him?" They both meekly glanced over at the boys sitting at the table opposite them and caught Kiba and Shino looking back. Quickly they averted their eyes back to their own table Sakura continued to whisper "Just leave it alone for now"

"You just don't want her to make a move on her boyfriend before you get to" Ino said purposely trying to annoy her friend, instead she just made Sakura hang her head and mope

"Do you really think I'm like that?"

"N-no of course not Sakura, cheer up! Here have a drink" Ino eagerly poured her friend a tall glass of sake which Sakura tossed back in one gulp (_Oh I really did it this time_)

At the table Kiba was still glaring at the girls but was yanked back by Shino

"It's time to come back to reality"

"I was just wondering why they were looking over here"

"Are you using that as an excuse to keep your eyes on Hinata, just like you used to. If you're going to waste your time pining over her you should at least let her know how you still feel"

"I don't have any idea what you mean." Kiba shoveled a large portion of beef into his mouth "Plus even if I did still like her, she's with Naruto now."

"A good observation, but still you should either quit wishing for what you once had or do something about getting her back, sitting and sulking accomplishes nothing. And if you don't remember, YOU rejected her proposal"

Kiba slammed the plate he had been holding in his hand onto the table causing it to shatter and splashing meat everywhere "Why don't you quit talking about things you don't understand Shino? I've had enough of your lecturing for one day" He began storming out of the restaurant. Akamaru produced a sympathetic whimper and followed Kiba out the door.

"Hey Shino what happened?" Choji asked

"Nothing new, Kiba just let his feelings get the better of him"

"Should we go after him? Isn't it our job as his friends to cheer him up?" Sai asked

"No" Shino held up his hand to stop his friends "We'll let this one go"

Hinata watched as her former team mate stormed out of the restaurant, excusing herself she quickly chased after him

"Kiba-kun" Her voice made him halt as the two stepped outside

"What is it Hinata?"

"I'm just seeing if you're ok"

Turning to her he gave her a reassuring smile "Don't worry I'm fine, just need some time for myself you know, all the smells in there aggravated my nose, I just had to get away"

"Of course" She retreated a little (_he's still so guarded_) Kiba began walking away again but Hinata stopped him "You know you don't always have to hide your feelings from everyone, that's why they build up until you just blow up at the slightest provocation. It's not healthy Kiba-kun"

Kiba didn't respond he just kept walking but Akamaru stood his ground between the two whimpering

"Come on Akamaru we're going home"

His companion didn't budge he just laid down in the dirt continuing to whimper

"Even Akamaru knows you need to be more open. So come on Kiba-kun open up" Hinata attempted to place a comforting hand on her friends shoulder but he pulled away

"I tried opening up to you once, I'm not going to make that mistake again. Now come on Akamaru!"

The ninja dog sadly got up to follow his master, stopping to rub his nose against the back of Hinata's hand. Looking up at her he gave one last whine as if begging her to follow him, but at this point she was much too frustrated

"You're so stubborn Kiba-kun" Hinata angrily yelled to his back "Don't act like you're the only one who got hurt. You rejected me as well!"

"Go cry to Naruto about it"

She stormed back into the restaurant and took her seat with her friends "Oh he can be so frustrating" she said

"Do you two often get into arguments like that?" Tenten asked piling some more food onto her plate

"Yes sometimes"

"Well how does that make Naruto feel? After all he and Kiba are pretty good friends right?"

"W-well you s-see…." Hinata's face began to flush as all the girls eyes fell on her

Kurenai stepped in "Hinata could I speak with you privately please?"

"Oh of course"

Excusing herself once more Hinata followed her old sensei away from the others

"What is it sensei?"

"Hinata, you haven't spoken to Naruto about your past with Kiba have you?"

"Well…no"

"I'm not going to lecture you and tell you that you should, it's your decision to make. I will tell you this, the longer you wait the more serious the consequences could be if he finds out himself" She placed a comforting hand on her students shoulder "Now let's go back in there, we arrived here tonight to enjoy ourselves"

The two returned to their group, but Hinata couldn't help but allow Kiba and Naruto to wander back into her mind, keeping her distracted for the rest of the night. (_I should stop by and see Naruto after lunch. And maybe see Kiba one last time I know he doesn't want it but he could really use someone to talk to right now_)

Not far away two of Naruto's students were walking through the village Kenji and Mai were making their way to the training grounds, deciding to hone their skills on their day off

"Hey Mai how come your not at home today? Didn't you dad just get back from some really long mission? Shouldn't you be spending time with him?"

The young girl gently twirled a lotus flower between her fingertips "No, I love Papa but I don't like it when he's home. He always tells me trying to be a ninja is a waste of time. He thinks only men should be ninja" She blew gently on the flower sending it into the air and watched as it carried off into the wind

"And I know he's wrong, but I can't help but feel sad when he says things like that. It's why I want so badly to become a great ninja"

Kenji smiled "Well you know Naruto-sensei will help us all become great ninja."

"Right"

They walked in silence for a while longer before coming to the edge of the village's residents

"Man I wish Suzu would have come out today too" Kenji said as he set up a target against a log and began tossing shuriken at it "But she's at home with her dad. He's teaching her some new jutsu, says they need to prepare for something"

"Like what?"

"I dunno" He shrugged throwing a kunai but missing the target "darn"

"You're throwing with your elbow" Mai stated

"Huh?"

"Your throw is more accurate if you use your wrist" She demonstrated nailing the closest circle to the bulls eye "If you use your elbow it can throw off your delivery, it may have more velocity but it will be less accurate and as a ninja accuracy is key" She threw another nipping the edge of the bulls eye

"Now you try"

Kenji followed her instruction and landed a shuriken right next to one of Mai's

"Hey I did it! I hope Suzu's training is going as well as ours"

(**Hanatabi Household**)

Suzu's training was going well, much better than her father had hoped. Admiringly he let his daughter catch her breath before they began their exercises again.

"Only a couple hours and you've already got the rotation of the jutsu down, but it order for this technique to be effective you need to be able to sustain a large amount of chakra, to do that use your body as the epicenter of the attack, let your chakra encircle your body."

"I think I got it" wiping the sweat off her brow she gathered all the chakra she could muster in her hands, holding them behind her back she directed them forward crossing her arms across her chest making the air around her. Two rings of chakra furiously spun around her body before quickly dissipating

"I did it!" Suzu exclaimed happily before slumping to the ground

"I think that's enough for today" Her father said as he picked her up off the floor "I'm quite proud of your progress Suzu, your instructor must be something"

"He's ok" She said wearily "He can never teach me the things you can though"

"I'm thinking I should have a word with this instructor of yours"

"I could show you where he lives"

"Perhaps later, for now you should rest. We'll pick up your training tomorrow"

(**Outside Kiba's apartment**)

Meanwhile Hinata had made her way to Kiba's home hoping she could get him to open up a little bit. She would have liked to spend a little more time with her friends celebrating Shizune's pregnancy but a very angry Tsunade had shown up, upset she had not been invited to the girls get together, and Hinata just did not have the guts to try and endure a rampaging Hokage

Arriving at Kiba's home she tentatively rapped her hands against his door

"Who's dere?"

"Kiba-kun can you open the door?"

"Not til I know who's dere"

"It's Hinata, come to the door please"

There was a brief pause and the sounds of scuffling inside the apartment

"I'm not here" Kiba's voice finally called

(_How drunk is he?_) Determined not to be turned away she let herself in, greeted enthusiastically by Akamaru. Spotting Kiba lying on the couch she carefully sat beside him, trying not to be overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol

"OK I'm here now, but a second ago I swear I wasn't" He slurred struggling to lift his head from the cushion

"Kiba-kun is everything alright?"

"Mostly"

"Then why did you storm out of the restaurant earlier?"

"Cuz Shino is always soooo smart. He always knows what's going on, and he's always gotta make me feel bad about it"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Shino, weren't you listening?" Kiba finally managed to lift his head but lost balance and fell into Hinata's lap. Staring up at her a broad fanged smile snuck across his face

"This is just like old times huh?"

Finally realizing what Kiba was upset about Hibata gently placed a hand on his forehead and stroked his hair "Too much like old times, you're angry and drunk and for some reason I don't really understand I'm in your apartment, feeling sorry for you and taking care of you"

"It's nice isn't it?"

"Don't joke Kiba-kun"

"I miss having you around y'know? I miss what we used to have"

"Used to is the important part of that sentence, I'm with Naruto-kun now"

"Like he's totally committed to you. He's still crazy about Sakura y'know? I can smell it, whenever she's around he reeks of...hormones" Kiba blanched and let his tongue hang from his mouth his face looking like he just ate something revolting "It makes me sick. He's my friend and I shouldn't say this to you, but you deserve someone who will focus all their attention on you Hinata."

"And I suppose that someone is you?"

"You know it is!" he threw his arm around her but she brushed him away

"I can't believe you Kiba-kun, you and Naruto are supposed to be friends. Hell you and I are supposed to be friends. I'm happy with Natuto-kun and I'm not going to let you doubt my boyfriends loyalty just because you can't handle getting dumped. We had our chance but you didn't want me, you rejected me. The first time I ever offered myself to someone and you said no"

Kiba began growling "You wanna know why I said no? I didn't feel like you were ready for a physical relationship, I felt like you were rushing into something you weren't prepared for. I felt that something like sex should be saved for when we're both ready for it, I thought that if it wasn't the right time for one of us it wasn't the right time for either of us"

Hinata felt her heart pound and her face flush "K-Kiba-kun do you mean that?"

"Hinata...you shouldn't be here. Just get out, I'll talk to you later" Kiba hurried he out the door shutting it behind her

She leaned against the wall of his house still feeling her heart pounding (_Did Kiba-kun really mean that?_) she shook her head (_It doesn't matter what he says, I'm with Naruto-kun now, and that's what matters right? Unless Naruto-kun is still in love with Sakura. He couldn't be though right? That's just something Kiba-kun was saying to get under my skin...maybe I should ask him. If it's not true he shouldn't be upset at me for asking right?_) Smiling she began running towered the Uzumaki lands (_I know he'll tell me it's not true_) 

(**Uzumaki residence**)

Naruto collapsed onto his new bed still wearing his adjusted Sage Robe. It had been a nice relaxing day on Mount Myoboku.

"It's good to be home though"

Hearing a knock at the door Naruto hurried downstairs, looking through the peek hole he saw Sakura standing against the door frame

"Who is it?"

"Just open the door Naruto, I know you can see me"

Chuckling he swung the door open "Sakura-chan what brings you here?"

"Just seeing how you're doing" She pulled a bottle of sake from behind her back "What do you say? Wanna drink a little?"

"You look like you've had some already?"

"Yeah well Tsunade can be very persuasive. Now are you gonna let me in or what?"

"I'll get some glasses take a seat" 

Sakura admired the work Naruto had done with his new home

"Oh Naruto the place looks good, you really put some effort into making this place look like a home again"

Naruto poured each of them a glass of sake, handing a glass to Sakura they clinked their glasses together "Cheers" before gulping the first glass down and pouring another

"You know if you hadn't let me know about this place it would still be falling apart. I may have never found it"

"Well remember Lee found it, I just located the right paper work. Still I'm glad I could help"

They each finished their second glass of sake when another knock came at the door

"You're very popular today aren't you Naruto?"

"Yeah, yeah…huh? Hinata?" he was surprised to find his girlfriend standing on his front doorstep look more tentative than usual

"Oh Naruto-kun…." Hinata spotted Sakura sitting in the living room waving enthusiastically "Am I-am I interrupting something?" She asked shyly

"Don't be absurd" Naruto ushered her in making sure to give her a small kiss "We're just hanging out. Come on have a drink with us"

Sakura stopped him "I should really be going"

"Sakura-chan don't be silly"

"No, no you two need some time alone. I know you haven't been able to see each other much lately" She stretched as she got off the couch "I'll leave the sake but don't drink it all, save it for my next visit" She hugged each of them as she made her way out the door

"Good night guys"

Naruto poured himself and Hinata a glass of sake "I'm glad you came by"

"R-really?"

"Yeah we hardly ever get to see each other anymore, I miss you"

Hinata's nerves strengthened and she sighed in relief "I've missed you too"

She wrapped her arms around him from behind and buried her face in his back "In fact I've been thinking…."

"About what?" Naruto felt her arms loosen as she pulled away

"About taking our relationship to the next step"

"What do you mean?" Turning around he caught sight of his girlfriend removing her shirt making him blush "Hinata what are you-"

He was silenced as she passionately pressed her lips against his directing his hands beneath her and leaping into his arms "Just take me upstairs" 

Silently Naruto obliged

(_I should take a day off more often_)


	28. All Things Must Pass

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 28: All Things Must Pass

"I love you Naruto-kun"

Naruto just stared at her eyes wide "Wha-what did you say?"

"I said I love you" Hinata said a little less confident this time "This is where you're supposed to say it back"

Naruto looked at the frown that was beginning to form on his girlfriends face and he knew he had to do something quick. Just as he was about to respond she began to speak

"Do you still love her?"

Naruto and Hinata sat on his bed still fully clothed Naruto hanging his head in shame and Hinata gazing woefully at her boyfriend

"Naruto-kun I'm sorry, it was wrong of me to spring a question like that on you. But I had to know"

"Hinata...I don't know how to answer that question"

"It's...it's ok. I think I already know. I think somehow...I always knew, I just didn't want to accept it. But you can't help it if you're still in love with Sakura"

It was weird hearing it from someone else, especially his own girlfriend. But as Naruto turned the thought over in his head it seemed there was no doubt in his mind (I still love Sakura-chan)

"I'm sorry Hinata"

"I'm not, Naruto-kun"

He gazed at her in awe, surprised that after all that was just said she still looked at him with her eyes full of admiration

"You're the person who made me who I am today, because of you...I'm strong" she knelt beside him and hugged him tightly "When it comes to you Naruto-kun, I have no regrets. I would not change a thing"

"Hinata, what will happen now?"

"I...I have someone else, someone who needs me. I don't know what that person is to me yet, if he could be a lover or just a friend, but I know that he needs me."

Naruto finally pulled himself up off the bed "He's a lucky man Hinata"

"I should really return home" she was half way out of the room before turning around and giving him one last hug "Thank you Naruto-kun, for everything"

Naruto watched as Hinata walked out his door and each breath he took began to feel heavy. It was sad knowing his time as her boyfriend was over. He sat on the side of his bed trying to reflect on the last few months, but the only image in his mind was of Sakura

Smiling slightly to himself he stood up, stretched and walked out the door (Looks like I'm making a late night visit)

He rushed to Sakura apartment from his house, seeing that there was still a light on he pounded on the door from inside he heard a crash and then the heavy stomping of Sakura's feet

"Who is banging on my door at this hour? You better have a good reason for waking me up!" Swinging the door nearly off it's hinges her face bright red with rage and eyes as wide as Naruto had ever seen them. But her whole visage softened when she saw who was at the door

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

He didn't say a word he just pulled the few disheveled strands of hair out of her face and kissed her. She did not resist, grabbing his collar she pulled him inside nearly falling against the hallway wall.

Feeling her way around she led them both into her kitchen where she hoisted herself onto the countertop to give herself better leverage. After a couple minutes she began to giggle putting Naruto off a bit

"What's so funny?" he asked finally releasing his kiss

She looked down at his hand which had found itself half way up her skirt

Leaning against him she stroked his hair pulling the thick strands gently through her fingers and letting them fall back in his face "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but we may be moving just a little too fast, I take it you and Hinata just broke up right?"

"Kinda yeah..."

"Why not wait just a little bit before leaping into my arms? Out of respect for her?"

"Is the what you really want?" he asked pursing his lips together

She laughed "Don't pout"

He stared into the wall still frowning "I guess I did jump the gun a little on that one"

Sakura kissed him lightly before pushing him out the door "Now go home and get some sleep"

His frown twisted itself into a mischievous smile "Can't I just stay here tonight?"

She lifted him up by his collar and led him out the door "Good night Naruto"

"Ah fine, good night Sakura-chan"

Satisfied he plunged his hands into his pants pockets and trudged home (I wonder how Hinata is...)

(At Kiba's house)

Kiba felt a pair of soft hands caress his face and hear the soft voice of someone singing, though he couldn't make out the words the voice was soothing and led his mind away from the painful throbbing that his newly developed hangover was responsible for 

He did best to focus on the words and finally was able to make out the soft whispers from whoever was singing

"Get up, get out, get away from these liars,

'Cause they don't get your soul or your fire.

Take my hand, knot your fingers through mine.

And we'll walk from this dark room for the last time"

Opening his eyes he saw Hinata staring off into the stars outside his window her violet eyes reflecting the moonlight

"that's beautiful Hinata" he struggled to say but was glad he made the effort when he saw her smile down at him

"Have you been taking care of me all night?"

"You don't remember?"

"No...what happened? Did something happen? What are you doing here anyways?"

She lightly put a finger to his lips "Just stop talking" she laughed "You'll ruin the moment"

Silently he obliged and allowed his head to fall into her lap where he slowly drifted back to sleep to the soft sound of her song

(The next day at the local bar)

"So Hinata left your place to come to mine?"

"Haha I guess so"

"Hey Naruto I'm really sorry I sorta stole your girlfriend away"

"Don't apologize Kiba, I didn't know the two of you had history. Had I known I would have asked for your ok from the start. I should apologize for stealing her first"

"You didn't steal her, I let her go!"

"Well that was awful dumb of you"

"Don't tell me, I know that already"

"Good now drink!"

The two slammed their small shot glasses on the table, pounded them against each others and tossed back the warm liquid

"Ah your face is priceless Kiba!"

"I'm not used to drinking this stuff, what did you call it?"

"Jaegermeister, it's popular in the Snow village"

"It burns"

Naruto poured two more glasses and lifted them up "To new beginnings"

Kiba returned his cheers "To our women"

"to our friendship" Naruto countered

They drank the dark liquid exhaling harshly as the liquor trickled down their throats

"So Sakura says she wants to take things slow for a while?"

"Yeah, kind of a drag"

"Don't worry I'm in the same boat, Hinata's all concerned about your feelings"

"You know it's kind of odd that things transferred over this smoothly" Naruto pointed out as he poured them another shot

"Yeah you would think there would be some left over resentment between us and our girls"

"Maybe we're just that good of friends"

Kiba raised his glass once more "Of course we are"

An hour later Hinata and Sakura were pulling a screaming pair of men from the bar

"I hate you Naruto" Kiba shouted as Hinata and Akamaru pulled him by his feet away from his friend

"I told you *hic* grow up, be a man and stop acting jealous!"

Sakura knocked Naruto on the back of his head "Naruto stop picking a fight, and let's go home"

"No, not until Kiba apologizes to me, I don't remember what he said, but he better take it back"

"Make me!" Kiba retorted

The two men broke from the girl's hands and began brawling again

Sakura and Hinata exchanged awkward glances

Hinata shifted her eyes back to the boys "Should we try and stop them?"

"I dunno maybe we should just let them work it out, but there is the possibility that they could destroy a whole street corner"

"I Uh- hope they're not gonna be like this every time they see each other" Hinata said meekly

"I think if we keep them away from alcohol they'll be fine"

"I hope so, I don't want things to get…..um awkward between any of us"

Sakura shook her head "Things already are a little awkward"

"They are aren't they?" Hinata sadly remarked

The two got quiet again while Naruto and Kiba continued to fight. After a long pause both girls began to try and speak at the same time only to interrupt each other making both of them sink back into silence. Finally Sakura began to speak again

"So are uh….you and Kiba….you know officially together?"

"No. I told Kiba-kun I need some time alone, I'll let him know when I'm ready for another relationship. What about you and Naruto-kun?"

"We're pretty much in the same boat. He seemed ok with it though, I think he will miss what you two had, but I know he'll be desperate to keep you as a friend"

Hinata managed a weak smile at her friend's kind attempt to lighten the situation and was startled at Sakura's next move. Sakura laid an arm on her shoulder and smiled "But you know I think if those two can get over their squabble, after a little while we'll be fine" she pointed to Naruto and Kiba who were no longer fighting but were now hugging each other, sobbing

"I'm so sorry Kiba!" Natuto wept patting his friend on the back

"No! It's me who should be sorry! I called you a backstabbing woman stealer"

"But I am one, I am! Even if I didn't know it"

"Oh brother" Sakura sighed grabbing the back of Naruto's collar "Come on you big dope let's get you back home before you make a complete spectacle of yourself"

As they walked from the bar a young female ninja dropped in front of them "Naruto-san, the Hokage needs to see you immediately"

Sakura fumed "in case you can't tell he's not in the best condition"

But Naruto shook her away "If Granny needs something I can go anytime" He said as he tripped over his own foot, catching himself before his face hit the ground "Lead the way!"

The ninja lead Naruto to the Hokage residence, with Sakura cautiously following behind. Upon entering the Hokage's office Tsunade fell back out of her chair at the sight of Naruto's face.

"Sakura, what's wrong with him?"

Sakura looked at Naruto's face and saw the hazy eyes and bright red complexion (_Surely the Hokage knows what someone looks like when they've been drinking, she's been drinking with Jiraiya before….then again she was always drunk too. Maybe she's just never noticed_)

"I asked you a question Sakura. Is Naruto sick or something?"

"Master you've got to be kidding…..he's drunk"

"Is…is that what I look like?"

"Well to be honest Naruto looks a little bit better"

A small vein popped out of the Hokage's forehead "Is that so?" Clearing her throat she turned to the blonde haired ninja

"Naruto I need you to do some observation"

"Which one of you said that?" he drunkenly replied

"Naruto! Focus!" Sakura drilled her elbow into his side making him snap to attention

"We have rumors spreading around about a possible traitor in our midst." 

Naruto's eyes finally began to focus at the word traitor "And what do you need me to do?"

Tsunade's face became hard "I need you to keep an eye out on your three students, the rumor is that the father of Mai is the traitor"

"What? Are you sure?"

"Not entirely, the tip came from a genin, but a genin who's been a ninja for a few decades now; no doubt he's picked up on a few things around the village. It couldn't hurt to observe him for a while"

"You got it Granny; I'll make sure to keep careful watch on my students."

"See if you can find out anything, hopefully this is nothing more than a poor judgment call and a shinobi acting over cautiously, but you can never be too careful, if the rumors are true this is the man who has been reporting to the Master behind our backs, he could potentially be very dangerous"

"You got it Granny"

Unknown to the three inside Mai's father was sitting atop the roof listening to their conversation "Well it seems it's about time that I made my move. Forgive me Mai"


	29. Traitor

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 29: Traitor

It had been three days since Naruto was assigned to observe Mai's families every move with the Genin Ko Hanatabi

"I don't like all this waiting" Ko whined mostly to himself as he and Naruto observed the Takara household "I'm telling you I have indisputable proof that he's a spy, waiting around to apprehend him will only put our village in danger."

"I appreciate your concern Ko, but don't forget we were given specific instructions to simply observe. I don't want to do anything rash that could potentially harm my student. Remember Mai is my student as well, it's not just your daughter."

"Then we will obey the Hokage's wishes. But I don't like it"

"Noted, now please shut up"

"Look there's movement!"

Ko was right but it was Mai's mother not her father that was exiting the household

"Mai honey!" She called "Where are you?"

"Strange" Naruto said "Where could Mai have gone without telling her mother?"

"Naruto-san" Ko barked "this is no time to lose focus, Mr. Takara is bound to be around here somewhere and we need to catch him"

"I doubt we'd see him doing anything that could incriminate him in his own home"

"Well what are we going to do? Wait for him to make the first move against the village and-" before Ko could continue his sentence Naruto spotted a hawk flying high above their location. Springing from his perch and leaving Ko utterly confused, Naruto raced towards the Hokage's office.

Arriving with the other available Jonin and Chunin, Naruto had a terrible feeling Ko may have been right about Mr. Takara

"We have an emergency" Tsunade shouted among the Hidden Leaf shinobi

"Two young genin have gone missing"

Naruto saw the Hokage's eyes fall on him and reveal a hint of sorrow which made Naruto's gut turn

"Oro Kenji and Hanatabi Suzu were last seen leaving the village with Tai Takara; you will spread out across the countryside and attempt to retrieve the Genin. Avoid one on one combat at all costs as Takara is an experienced Hidden Leaf Jonin and a possible right hand man of the 'Master'. That's all we have at the moment. Dismissed" 

Before Naruto was out of the village he slapped his palm against the enormous front gates, leaving a smoking symbol on the door. A result of his newest perfected jutsu he had been practicing left to him by his father.

(_Damn I was right, he wouldn't do anything incriminating at his own home. I spent all that time trying to watch Takara and he took the opportunity to take my students. He knew we would be watching him. He waited until just the right moment to make his move. I have to find him, and the quickest way would be through Sage mode_)

Landing carefully he positioned himself for meditation and began drawing in the Natural energy around him

He began feeling the chakra's surrounding him and searched for the familiar chakra flow of his students

(They can't be that far, I should be able to sense them)

He felt his body enter the full stages of Sage Mode and as he had predicted the three were not far away, he easily located the cave they were sheltered in. Slapping his palm against the tree beside him he left the Uzumaki clan symbol embedded in the wood and without a moment's hesitation bolted towards the cave.

Locating the chakra of a third person inside the cave who he could only assume was Takara Naruto prepared to fight for his student's freedom, despite the Hokage's warnings.

(_I know Granny told me to avoid fighting, but I think I stand a better chance at fending him off than anyone else does. And if worse comes to worse I can always teleport Mai and Kenji to safety and buy them some time to warn the Hokage_) 

The only doubts Naruto had about his plan came from the looming feeling of malice that seemed to emit from the cave itself.

(_How can one person have so much hatred? It's chilling_) 

Releasing one final long breath to steady his nerves Naruto crashed into the stone wall of the cavern, feeling it give way behind his strength he pushed through landing directly on Takara who let out a grunt of pain before passing out as the Sage pushed him into the dirt

"Naruto-sensei?" his two young students gave him confused looks "What are you doing here? And why do you look so weird"

"Don't worry guys, I'm here to take you back to the village"

"NO!" They both cried in unison

"What? We have to go back guys; it's not safe here"

"But Mr. Takara said we'd be safer out of the village where the Masters spies couldn't find us" Kenji protested

Naruto took a deep breath and placed his hand on Mai's shoulder "I know it's going to be hard to understand this guys, but Takara is the Master's spy. He lied to you guys to bring you here, though I'm not sure why"

Mai's eyes began to well up "No sensei, please tell me that's not true"

Naruto couldn't bring himself to look at his weeping student "I'm just glad I got here when I did, before he had a chance to cause either of you any harm"

Mai kneeled by her unconscious father still crying "Please tell me it isn't so Papa"

Naruto allowed her to grieve for a moment, not noticing that his Sage power had run out, after he felt enough time had passed he tugged on her sleeve hoping to help her up "Come on Mai, we have to go" he lifted the limp body of Tai Takara onto his shoulder and hurried the young ninja towards the exit

As he approached the cavern's entrance two figures landed before them, Naruto was barely able to make out who it was "Identify yourselves!"

"It's just me sensei" Suzu said calmly as she entered the cave beside her father

"Ko! What's the meaning of this? You brought your own daughter here? This place could be dangerous, what if the Master or one of his goons is nearby?"

"I would bet heavily that they are" Ko said snapping his fingers. As he did the entrance sealed behind them as well as the hole Naruto had made sealing off all the light from the outside.

Before Naruto to react he felt something slither up his legs gripping them tightly to the floor and heard Kenji and Mai gasp

"Ko! What's going on?"

A wicked cackle seemed to come from the very walls themselves making Naruto's blood run cold

"Ko you've allowed far too many guests to my party" A strange voice hissed from the darkness

"Forgive me Master, but I didn't expect Tai to separate the children from the village, nor did I expect the Hokage to send such a large party after two children

"That's because you underestimate the 'Will of Fire' of Konoha and its shinobi. Your wife would not make the same mistake, too bad she is so loyal to that filthy village, she would be a much greater help than you"

A light appeared from the center of the cave revealing a white scaled large man wearing a hooded purple cloak. Naruto examined his body in disgust, instead of legs he appeared to have a collection of large white snakes that slithered across the floor like tentacles to move their host.

"Naruto-san….it has been so long" The hooded figure revealed a tiny fingerlike digit and stroked it down Naruto's cheek "You've been quite useful acting as a test subject for my experiments. Thanks to you I think I've been able to gather enough data to finally build the perfect subject. I just need one more thing"

The hooded man slithered over to Suzu "I need to ensure the loyalty of this dear little girl right here. She has a precious blood trait of some of the oldest guardians of the Hidden Leaf. If I can get her to prove her loyaly…well I think I can get her to do just about anything can't I?"

"And what exactly would she have to do to gain your loyalty?" Naruto grunted struggling against what he now recognized as snakes that were coiled around his body

"Well I was planning on having her kill her two team mates, but now that you're here, I think allowing her to end the life of her sensei would be much more delightful"

Naruto immediately stopped struggling realizing he did not have the strength to break their grip he began to calm his body, preparing to gather nature energy to enter Sage mode again, but something was wrong, he couldn't feel any energy flowing into his body

As if the hooded figure read his mind he spoke "Don't bother trying to enter sage mode, these snakes can absorb your natural energy without repercussion, they are part of nature themselves after all"

"Damn it, who are you?"

"What's the matter Naruto? You don't recognize me?" He pulled his hood back to reveal the scaled face of Kabuto sneering at the Jonin

At first Naruto couldn't believe his eyes, "that's not possible, Itachi finished you off in the last war"

"He nearly did" Kabuto explained "I would have never guessed that you would save Itachi's body from my resurrection technique and would be forced to battle him. If I hadn't shed off a tiny piece of my body I wouldn't be here today. Lucky for me I was able to regenerate and return to my full power so that I could continue Orochimaru's grand experiments, but I've talked enough" He pulled Suzu forward and placed a large dagger in her palm

"You know what you have to do?"

She hesitantly looked up at her teacher then turned back to her father. Slowly she nodded and gripped the hilt of the dagger firmly in her hand "Yes Master"

Closing her eyes she dashed forward dagger outstretched preparing to plunge the blade into her sensei

The world around Naruto seemed to slow down as he heard Mai scream in terror and he watched as his own student charge forward with the intent to kill him

Closing his eyes he found his mind wandering. He thought of the village and hoped they would be able to fend off whatever unpleasant plot Kabuto had. He thought of Sakura and who she might date after he was gone, he had a small hope that maybe she would mourn him forever but he wouldn't her to live a life alone. He thought of Sasuke and Taka and wondered if they were all still ok and where on Earth they could be. He wondered if he would be able to meet his parents in the next life, and if Jiraiya would be waiting for him, ready to teach him about the afterlife. He then thought of his students and the fate that awaited them after his demise and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

He couldn't wonder what would happen to them, their lives were in his hands, and it was up to him to ensure they made it out of this cave alive. That's what he came to do and that's what he would make happen. If he died so be it, but it couldn't happen until he made sure Mai, Kenji, and even Suzu were safely back in the village

Opening his eyes he struggled to break free of his serpent bonds and saw that Suzu was barely steps away from plunging into him, he moved his hands as close to each other as he could using all the muscles in his body but before he could do anything a wave of crimson erupted in front of him splattering across his chest. Naruto choked back a scream as he felt his heart stop


	30. The Students Sacrifice

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters mentioned in this story**_

** All Things New Again**

Chapter 30: The students sacrifice

Naruto looked on in horror as the body of his student Kenji dove in front of him absorbing the blow of the dagger held by Suzu that was intended for her sensei. Kenji's body crumpled to the ground and Suzu immediately dropped her weapon and knelt beside him.

Naruto felt the snakes that gripped him to the floor loosen their grip and fall with a heavy thud to the dirt.

Behind him a bruised Tai held a kunai in his hands slicing away at the snakes

Confused but relieved to be free Naruto asked the Jonin "What's going on?"

Tai tore at the last of Natuto's restraints "I tried to escort Mai and Kenji out of here while Kabuto and Ko were focused on you. I was ready to sacrifice your life to save the children. I had no idea Kenji would jump in front of you like that"

"Suzu" Naruto shouted startling the young kunoichi "Is Kenji alive?"

"He's breathing" she sobbed "Sensei I'm sorry...I..."

"Save your explanations. Just keep Kenji out of the way"

Naruto barreled down on Kabuto who was still trying to regain his composure

"Fire release: Phoenix Flame"

Kabuto brushed off Naruto's attack before screaming at his minion

"Ko don't just stand there!"

Ko attempted to attack Naruto but was intercepted by Tai "We need to buy the children time" he grunted

Nodding Naruto jumped away from Kabuto landing near Mai

"Mai I'm going to create an opening for you, you take Suzu and Kenji back to the village. I was going to try to teleport you guys back but I don't know if Kenji would survive in his condition"

Mai weakly nodded

"Mai listen very carefully. No matter what don't come back. You need to get Kenji to a hospital. Do you understand?"

Mai swallowed nervously but furrowing her brow she nodded and confidently replied "Yes Naruto sensei!"

"Good" Naruto threw a paper bomb against the wall behind them and then drove his palm into the floor "Earth Release: Clay Wall"

Now separated from the fighting Mai rushed to her teams side where Suzu was quietly crying over Kenji

"Suzu pull yourself together we can still save him but we need to leave now"

She hefted Kenji onto her shoulder and though she struggled under the weight she grabbed Suzu by the hand and dashed out of the cave.

Mai ran as far as she could before the weight of dragging Kenji and Suzu grew too great and she collapsed with a still hysterical Suzu

"Why? Why would he sacrifice himself like that?" Suzu wept

Shakily Kenji spoke "To save your dream"

Suzu's sobs ceased at the sound of Kenji's voice

"What...what are you talking about?"

"When we were first all together with sensei and we were talking about our dreams, you said you wanted to help protect our village like your ancestors before you. I knew if you harmed sensei, you'd be lost to the desires of that evil man. You'd never be able to live up to your dream. But maybe if I sacrificed myself it would help you come back to your senses."

"But why do you care?" Suzu asked "Why does something stupid like that matter to you?"

"Because I love you Suzu" Kenji smiled as he frailly lifted his hand to touch her face "And it's not something stupid. It's your dream. It's what gave you the strength and the will to become a ninja"

"You...you love me?"

Kenji's shone as he slowly nodded his head "I know it seems like it came out of nowhere but I've always admired you. You were always stronger than me, more confident, more composed: it made me want to become a better ninja so I could stand beside you as an equal. And then that admiration became something else *cough*"

Some blood escaped from Kenji as he began a hacking fit

"Kenji please save your strength" Mai pleaded, "I promised sensei I'd get you home safe, he's back in the cave putting his life on the line so he can save ours. I can't break that promise knowing he and Papa are risking so much"

"They won't have to risk their lives" Suzu said shakily as she wiped her eyes and gently kissed Kenji on the forehead "Mai keep your promise to sensei, make sure Kenji gets home safely"

"Where are you going?"

"Kabuto thinks I'm willing to be loyal to him because of my father. My father told me they need my blood to compete their plan, if I go with them they'll leave sensei and your father alone. What he doesn't know is that I have a dream to fulfill, and a person I care for to protect. And if it means giving myself up to save my team mates and my teacher, I'll do it without regret"

"But if you go with that man he will be able to-"

"I know, he'll have everything he needs to finish his plan: that's why you need to make sure Naruto-sensei finds me before he has the chance"

Mai watched as Suzu headed back to the cave torn between trying to retrieve Suzu and taking Kenji straight to the village, but after seeing Kenji cough up another puddle of blood she gathered her strength and lifted him onto her back sprinting in the direction of Konoha (I hope you know what you're doing Suzu)

She didn't have to go far before she ran into a pair of Jonin she recognized

"Choji-San, Ino-San help!"

The two shinobi came to a halt "Aren't you Naruto's students, the ones who were supposed to be kidnapped?" Ino asked before her eyes focused on the barely conscious boy on Mai's back "My goodness what happened to this boy?"

"It's too long to explain can you help him?"

Ono grimaced at Kenji's wound "I can do my best with medical ninjutsu, but these wounds are very severe." She laid Kenji on the ground and began pouring her chakra into him "Choji take this girl back to the village, and alert the medical staff we have an emergency on the way, I'll be right behind you"

Choji said nothing he just scooped Mai in his arms and blasted through the surrounding woods reaching the village in no time flat. Still holding onto Mai he burst through the hospital doors, spotting Sakura he finally put Mai down

"Sakura we have a serious situation, one of Naruto's students has a deep stab wound, Ino's bringing him here as we speak but we need a medic team ready"

Sakura shook her head "Choji slow down, what's going on?"

Before he could say anything Ino made an appearance in the doorway carrying the still bleeding Kenji

"Oh God!" Sakura signaled another medic over rushed to grab a stretcher

Along with Ino and Choji the two medic ninja lifted Kenji onto the stretcher and carted him away to an emergency room. Mai stood alone, fearful for the lives of her friends. For the first time since joining team 7 she felt overwhelmed. Just when she thought she was going to burst into tears she felt a large hand rest comfortably on her shoulder.

Looking up she saw the large form of Choji standing over her with a reassuring smile across his face

"We should get you home, I'm sure your mother is worried sick"

"No" she objected "I promised sensei I would make sure Kenji was ok, my duty to my instructor isn't over until I know he's ok"

Choji smiled again "Are you scared?"

Mai slowly nodded feeling her face sting as she was a little embarrassed as a shinobi to admit she was afraid but something in the older ninja's eyes calmed her down and the red flush quickly left her face

"Don't worry" Choji said taking her by the hand and leading into the cafeteria "Your friend is in good hands. So why don't we get some ice cream? It will take your mind off things"

"Are you sure?"

Choji patted his belly "Does it look like I'm unsure about anything food related?"

This made Mai giggle a bit and calmed her nerves

(_he's right, Kenji is in the best care possible, I just hope Suzu knows what she's doing_)

Back at the cave:

Naruto and Tai were holding Kabuto and Ko as best as they could. But Kabuto was proving to be much more powerful than Naruto remembered.

(_As skilled as I thought I was I still can't get the upper hand on him. If I was still in Sage mode this fight would be going differently_)

He saw that Tai had Ko on his heels and was quickly getting the upper hand in their fight

(_There is the chance that if Tai finishes his fight he can hold Kabuto off while I gather up nature energy. But could he really last that long against Kabuto?_)

Naruto ducked as two long snakes struck out at his head

(_I do have one trick up my sleeve, if only I could get closer I could use ancient cramps Onoki's technique, but that will sap me of a lot of the chakra I have left_)

Kabuto opened his jaws unleashing a nasty mix of purple flames and a barely visible gas, if it hadn't been for Naruto's keen sense of smell he would not have been able to avoid the nearly invisible cloud. He watched as the gas melted the rock that it glided against collecting against the far wall dissolving the walls face.

(_That was too close, it's no use if I'm not in Sage Mode I can't win unless I do something drastic_)

Naruto began the long string of hand signals used for the Third Tsuchikage's greatest technique which he had passed on to Naruto before Naruto had left with Sasuke

Naruto carefully dodged Kabuto's attacks making sure he kept most of his focus on his hand signals and gathering enough chakra to perform the technique

Leaping to the ceiling of the cave after avoiding another group of purple flames, Naruto unleashed his jutsu

"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World"

A small ball of light flickered in front of Kabuto catching the snake-man off guard, the ball soon expanded into an enormous cube of transparent light, encasing Kabuto in it's walls.

"This is the end for you!" Naruto shouted as the cube collapsed upon itself before disappearing in a flash of brilliant light

"Master!" Ko shouted as he was thrown to the ground by Tai

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief landing lightly on the floor "It's over Ko, come back quietly and the Hokage will deal with you"

A grin spread across Ko's face and he began laughing

Confused Naruto looked behind him to see a tiny snake squirming along the ground

Naruto felt fear rise in his gut as he watched the snake cease it's movements and begin to grow slowly back into the body of a naked Kabuto

"My my Naruto, I had no idea you were capable of such a jutsu. I must say I'm very impressed" Kabuto said almost honestly "But my regenerative abilities work on a microcellular level. If you truly wanted to defeat me you would have to do it cell by cell"

Naruto smirked "You shouldn't have told me that" retreating Naruto created a shadow clone that began tossing it's hands wildly around Naruto's palm.  
>Naruto focused his mind and began pouring Wind Chakra into the forming orb<p>

(_I have enough Chakra to survive the Rasen-Shuriken, but the amount of power I'll need to finish off Kabuto will probably cost me my arm_.)

Naruto's thoughts trailed to all the people back in Konoha and his three students who were counting on him to keep them safe. Naruto could not afford to let Kabuto make it to Konoha and recapture Suzu

(_Guess my arm is a small price to pay_)

Naruto felt the full power of the Rasen-Shuriken in his hands (Here goes nothing)

He felt a sudden shockwave rock through the cave and felt the heat of a nearby explosion. Looking behind him Naruto saw Suzu charging into the dim cavern

"Suzu! What are you doing here?"Naruto shouted "You should be heading back to the village with-"

"I'm right where I belong" Suzu said coldly holding up a bloody Hidden Leaf headband in her hand "Father, Master, I've done as you wished. I've eliminated my former team members"

Naruto released his Rasen-Shuriken and nearly collapsed to the floor "Suzu...what did you say?"

Kabuto howled in delight, knocking Tai and Naruto into a stone wall, binding them to the floor and slithering over to the young ninja and wrapping his arm around her "Well done Suzu" he said gleefully "Our preparations are complete, you are ready to take part in the final stages of my plan. Come Ko, we have much work to do"

Naruto watched helplessly as Kabuto dissolved into the dirt below with Ko and Suzu

Behind him Tai began to whimper "My daughter...my beautiful daughter...is...is gone"

Naruto tore at the cords that kept his hands and feet together and frees Tai. Shouldering the distraught man Naruto began the long and somber walk back to Konoha. He had failed.

He had failed to stop Kabuto, failed to keep the village out of danger, but worst of all he had failed to protect his students

After walking for over an hour Naruto finally reached the front gates to the village, Tai still howling in grief.

Unable to bear the weight any longer Naruto allowed the two of them to fall to the ground, the gate guards nearby hurried over to help them up but Tai refused to budge

"My daughter is dead" he cried once more

"Papa!"

Keeping his eyes to the ground Tai allowed a weak smile to grace his lips

"I can almost still hear her"

"Papa!"

Naruto grabbed the older man by the scruff of his collar and yanked him upright allowing him to see the tiny Mai rushing towards them with Choji strolling not far behind

"Mai!" Tai shouted clutching his daughter as she wrapped her arms around him

Relieved but confused Naruto bent beside the young girl "But it doesn't make sense...Suzu said she disposed of you and Kenji"

Mai gave her sensei a questionable look

"You mean...she really did hand herself over to Kabuto?"

"Hand herself over?"

"She said it was the only way to save you sensei, it was the only way she could help protect Konoha"

"How is handing herself to Kabuto helping the village?" Tai asked

"She knows sensei will find her and stop Kabuto and whatever he has planned, she knew all she had to do was buy Naruto-sensei some time"

the others all looked up at the blonde shinobi "So what's the plan?"

"We're going to rescue Suzu"


End file.
